


Where the Surface Kisses the Sky

by Millionharry



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Angels, Anime, M/M, Mermaids, Mermen, Supernatural - Freeform, Vampires, Werewolf, Werewolves, angel - Freeform, mermaid, merman, vampire
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-22
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2018-09-19 07:54:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 36,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9428363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Millionharry/pseuds/Millionharry
Summary: Victor Nikiforov is a prince of the sky. Yuuri Katsuki is a prince of the sea. When their paths cross, Victor's plain and white life is suddenly bursting with color. They're so vastly different, but in the place where the ocean meets the sky could they fall in love?





	1. Of Sky and Sea

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Yuri on Ice fic so I hope you enjoy it!

Victor Nikiforov gazed out the window at the billowing white clouds. You would think being thousands of feet in the air would provide with some amazing scenery but everything was white and quite frankly Victor found white to be very boring. Everything in his life was white. White robes, white rooms, white hair and white clouds.

Thus was the fate of an angel.

Of course the term angel was used loosely. Their billowing white, of course, wings had cemented them as the fabled creatures of the Lord, though despite being higher in the air than most humans had ever ventured, Victor was pretty sure they were no closer to God than anyone else. But humans were creatures of habit and so anything that looked angelic became so.

All of the white probably hadn’t helped discourage the belief.

But white was all Victor knew and presumably it would be all he ever knew. Angels were forbidden to visit the earth unless they went for official business or on school tours. Victor had been once, and that brief glimpse of color had nearly taken his breath away. The trees, the grass, the strange little mechanical things the humans rode around in, and even the humans themselves were full of color. Every angel he’d ever met had very little variation in the color of their hair. Whether they were blond or silver haired, in the end it all looked, you guessed it, white.

“Mr. Nikiforov since you seem so interested in my lecture, would you care to answer my question?”

Victor’s whipped back around, his teacher’s voice sternly reminded him that he was supposed to be paying attention. Snickers echoed around the classroom and if angels actually blushed, Victor’s cheek would be the only source of color in the room.

“I don’t believe I heard the question Mr. Yakov.” He admitted. Mr. Yakov glared at him, it was no secret to the class that he didn’t harbor many fond feelings for the boy who often spent his class gazing out on the clouds.

“What is the earliest known instance of the mythological angel?”

Victor thought for a second. “It would depend, of course, in what context you’re wanting. The first mention of angels on earth would be when God sent the Cherubim to guard the Garden of Eden. However in the Bible there are many mentions of the angels before the creation of the earth, such as the downfall of Satan.”

Mr. Yakov nodded and addressed the class. “Can anyone then tell me the difference between the mythological angel and us?”

It was a question the students were used to. For some reason, they had been forced to take classes on angel mythology since they had started school, which began when they turned five. Every year they were challenged with the same question, as if the teacher’s wanted the students to figure something out.

“They’re not real and we are?” And there was Christophe, with the same sarcastic answer that he supplied every year. He smirked to himself, not seeming to realize that everyone else had stopped finding it humorous years ago. Yakov pretended he hadn’t asked and that Chris hadn’t answered.

“It is believed that every strain of non-human, yet humanoid being is descended from the original Cherubim. Though no one is quite sure the validity of the mythology behind the Cherubim, every species tends to agree that they are most likely the original ancestors. Angels tend to lean more to the heavenly mythology, mermaids to the Greek and Roman, shifters to Native American lore and even I don’t truly know what the vampires believe. They’re much more secretive than the rest and frankly I don’t know that I’d ever want to actually converse with one.”

Some of the girls in the class shuddered, their skin crawling at the thought of the Night Walkers. It was a commonly, well as common as angels actually cared about (meaning that only angels actually believed it), that angles were more directly descended from the First Order, as the Cherubim were referred to. Meaning, in the hierarchy of humanoid beings, angels sat near the top. It wasn’t a popular belief for the other species, seeing as it gave the angels a sense of self-righteousness. In all honesty this may have helped the way each species was seen in the lore, as every other species seemed to have at least some negative aspects in their mythology, while angels almost constantly remained pure and benevolent beings.

“Class is dismissed for the day.” Yakov said, and the room was filled with the sounds of chairs scraping across the floor and bags being picked up. Victor made his way out into the hallway, a cavernous place full of golden arches and marble floors.

The Academy was a huge building, as it housed class rooms for all of the angels between the ages of five and eighteen. Victor was of the latter category, as were all of his classmates. The Academy, like the rest of the land, flew high in the air, held up by some sort of mechanical wonder the angels had invented before anything of the sort would occur to humans. The hall was filled with older angels, as the younger classes got out earlier. It was a sea of white, white hair, white clothes and large white wings tucked against each student’s backs. Wings could be internalized, the folded into an angel’s back in a way that Victor didn’t truly understand (his daydreaming passed from his mythology classes to his anatomy classes) but it wasn’t the most comfortable. Whenever his wings were away, he could feel the pressure on the skin of his back, like it would burst open at any second. Not to mention the way it itched. Victor didn’t know if it was the subconscious thought of the feathers beneath his skin but putting his wings away made his back itch horribly.

A hand clapped onto Victor’s shoulder, and he looked up to see Chris standing next to him. “You want to head out to the flying field?”

Victor sighed, thinking of the wide open field covered in pale grass. The place was mainly used to teach young angels or run training for the Guard, but every once in a while it was empty and the high schoolers used it to play games or race.

“I really want to, but my father has insisted I return home right after school. He thinks I need extra tutoring if I’m ever going to take over.” Christophe flashed him a sympathetic smile and shrugged.

“It must be tough being a prince.”

Victor didn’t answer, simply gave a short nod and turned towards the exit.

The Academy was on a separate piece of land, ensuring that the only way to reach it was by flying. This prevented anyone from sneaking out, as one would be completely visible while trying to cross over the space between the school and the rest of the land mass. The only other piece of land separated like this was the castle, which was an island in the very middle. Victor made his way through the doors of the Academy and onto the large open space set aside for landing or taking off.

He spread his wings, massive even for an angel his age, and they stretched out magnificently behind his back. Taking a running leap off of the land mass, he launched himself into the open air. There was a wonderful feeling of freefall before his wings caught the currents, lifting him high. He gave one large flap and he danced gracefully through the sky.

It was easy to spot the castle from this high up, it towered above the rest of the white buildings, though its height is about the only thing that set it apart. Underneath Victor flowed bunches of white marble houses that blended almost seamlessly into the clouds surrounding them. The palace itself was crafted with white marble, though it had spires that stretched into the sky. He landed easily in front of it, his feet settling onto the pale grass as though he had only made small step across the sky.

His father waited in the throne room, a large barren room whose only color came from the two simple thrones that were crafted from the same gold as the arches in the Academy. The walls and floor were the same material as the outside, and the only thing on the walls were the portraits of the wings of every past king. Every set was unique, as no two angel’s wings are exactly alike, though the only thing distinguishing the portraits from the stark white walls were the simple black frames surrounding them.

Alexei Nikiforov wasn’t am imposing man at first glance. He wasn’t much taller than Victor and he shared the same slim build. His silver hair, which used to be the same color as his son’s but had dulled with age, ran down past his shoulders in thick waves. It wasn’t until one looked in his eyes that they got a sense of how powerful this man was. His eyes were blue like Victor’s, but they were hard. His eyes did not sparkle with laughter or happiness, they were stern and demanded respect. Alexei’s lips were pressed together in a thin line as he watched his son cross the throne room to approach him. His son had sheared off his long hair years ago, but the look still displeased him. It wasn’t a proper look for someone of royal birth but Victor rarely did what anyone of royal birth was expected to do.

“Father.” Victor kneeled in front of the king, his head bowed and waiting.

“Victor.”

Victor rose and looked his father in the eye. The two men looked so similar and yet were so different, and the difference didn’t escape Victor. He wondered if his father would ever be truly proud of him.

“Victor you will be traveling to the ground with a few members of the guard.” Victor had to bite his tongue to remain silent. Excitement bubbled up within him, thick and palpable, and it made him want to leap with joy.

“What am I to be doing on the ground?” He asked, his voice barely containing its respectable tone. His mind was already reeling with all of the ideas of things he wanted to see and do.

“You are 18. In a few months you will be crowned king and yet you know almost nothing about the world we live above. You will go down, you will experience the humans and while you are down there you will also meet with some of the other species. You will leave tomorrow morning.” His father flicked his hand, a clear sign that the conversation was over and Victor was to leave. “Lillia will have all of the details.”

Victor nearly skipped across the throne room, his heart beating wildly in his chest.

“Victor.” His father’s stern voice stopped him in his tracks. “Don’t disappoint me.”

*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Yuuri Katsuki had never known anything but the sea.

Of course merfolk could walk on land for short periods of time, but as a prince of the sea, there was no way he’d ever be allowed to go to the surface. He’d quickly peeked his head up above the water a few times on hunting trips, but they were usually too far out to be able to spot anything more than a green smudge of land. He knew some of his friends had gone to land for their birthdays, enjoying what mankind had to offer for the few hours they could remain on land.

But Yuuri would never get to leave the sea. His father forbid it and his mother was afraid of it. They were worried about a lot of things. That humans would see Yuuri leaving the sea and capture him, that he would spend too long on land and whatever happened to merfolk who didn’t return to the sea would happen. No one quite knew the consequences of staying too long, as no one who did had ever returned. Some rumored that they would dry up and die, while other simply said that their gills permanently closed up, making it impossible for them to return to the water.

Yuuri didn’t really care about the consequences, he just wanted to walk on land. 

Yuuri was beautiful, in a dark sort of way. His tail was a dark blue, speckled with dark purple and red scales that reflected beautifully when he swam. A mop of jet black hair adorned his head and matched his dark eyes. Unlike most merfolk, he didn’t care.

The majority of his kind were vain, constantly adorning themselves with jewels found in ship wrecks, sparkling shells or trinkets brought from adventures onto land. They adored beauty and adored Yuuri because of that. But to him, his beauty was nothing and he didn’t put much stock into it. Most of the mermaids wanted to sleep with him and most of the mermen wanted to look like him, though a good portion of the merman also wanted to sleep with him. None of it held much stock for him though, which his friends thought was a shame.

The one person who didn’t care much about looks got all the good ones.

The merman flicked his tail which propelled him through the water. He was headed to the palace to talk to the King, his father, about the state of the reefs. They were dying at an alarming rate, despite the merfolk’s best efforts to heal them. Yuuri had been out with a patrol to investigate one of the biggest reefs in their immediate territory. He loved the humans but seeing how they treated his home made him sad. He knew that the homes of the merfolk who inhabited the freshwater were even worse off.

Yuuri passed the houses that surrounded the palace, each one made out of hot lava from under sea vents and desperately trying to look more ornate than the one next door. Much like their inhabitants, the houses were painted with brilliant colors and decorated with the best shells and treasure that the merfolk could get their hands on.

Nothing compared to the palace, a beautiful building covered in deep sea gold. It shimmered in the water and colorful fish darted in and out of its openings. Yuuri had lived here his whole life and it felt more like a prison than a palace.

Had he been born where his friends, Phichit, Guang-Hong and Leo, had been born, he could do anything he wanted. He could become a part of the Royal Guard, he could become a healer or even a shell salesman if that was what he wished. But instead he was destined to take his father’s place, which was not something Yuuri was sure he could handle.

As he approached the palace, he could see members of the Royal Guard training outside the east entrance. He recognized Otabek and Mickey sparring with a set of long spears with Celestino, the lead trainer for the Guard yelling advice from the side.

The Guard stopped and stood at attention as he passed, their fins pressed into the ocean floor to keep them still. It was a habit that Yuuri had tried to break them of many times, but Celestino insisted it was the only proper way to greet their future king. He nodded to the Guard and swam into the palace.

The inside of the palace was just as ornate as the outside. The walls were littered with pieces of shells and gold flakes, glittering in the light of the brightly glowing rocks that his people had found centuries before. They lit up the entire palace, making it seem as though the walls were liquid sunshine. Yuuri swam through the familiar hallways, winding his way past servants and palace workers, all of whom he greeted warmly and by name. He had been raised to always respect the people under him, and in turn all of the workers loved the young prince.

Part of the beauty of the palace was the colorful fish that swam through it as well as the diverse corral that grew in all of the nooks and crannies. The fish swam alongside Yuuri, smaller ones twining through his dark hair. He arrived at the throne room, called so more for the fact that it was where the king met with his people rather than the presence of actual thrones. When he swam through the archway he found both his mother and father in the room, and they smiled brightly at their son.

“Yuuri!” His mother slid gracefully through the water to him. “How was your patrol?”

He hugged her quickly and shook his head. “The reef is still dying, despite our healers best efforts. Every time the reef starts to recover, more pollution gets brought in by the currents.”

Queen Hiroko looked saddened, she had after all been a healer before she had married King Toshiya. Despite the fact that she hadn’t been a healer for years, she still felt the death of her beloved reefs in her heart.

“Yuuri your father and I need to talk to you about something.” She pulled back from him and grasped her husband’s hand.

Yuuri paused, his hand going to rub the gills located right below his ears, a nervous habit he’d had since childhood. He was hoping that his parents wouldn’t ask him to stop going out with the patrol, it was one of the few things he actually got to do outside the border of the town that surrounded the palace.

“There’s to be a meeting,” Toshiya began, “with the young leaders from many of the species.”

Yuuri’s heart began to race. They couldn’t be letting him go…could they?

“We think you are old enough and that you should attend. You are the future king and you should know the other leaders.” His father finished, looking at his mother who was smiling slightly.

“Really?” Yuuri almost yelled. He couldn’t believe his ears. He was going to get to go to the surface! Better yet, he was actually going to get to walk on land!

“Really.” His mother chuckled at his excitement. “You’ll make sure to be very careful though? And stay with the Guard the whole time?”

“Of course!” He hugged his mother and then his father who ruffled his hair affectionately.

“I have selected a few of the Guard to escort you. You will be meeting with at least the young leaders of the vampire and werewolf clans, though some of the other species have said they might present their young heirs as well.” Toshiya smiled at his son who was bursting with excitement. “You will leave tomorrow morning and I have already arranged for there to be a case of human clothes at the place where you will go onto land.”

“I have to go tell Phichit!” Yuuri yelled, already darting towards the throne room door.

He was gone in a whirlwind, leaving his mother and father alone. “I hope we are doing the right thing in letting him go. I hope he will be safe.” His father said slowly, knowing that the land could be dangerous for such an inexperienced merman. His queen squeezed his hand reassuringly.

“He will be. I have faith in our boy.”


	2. The Landing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I'm so excited for this fic and I hope you are too! Please let me know if you're enjoying it and if you want me to continue. Happy reading!   
> \- Cass

Yuuri’s hand rubbed over his right gill. It fluttered quickly, opening and closing as if he was gasping for air.

Which was exactly how he felt.

He’d already said goodbye to his parents and friends. His mother had wanted to come see him off, but he knew this was something he needed to do on his own. He needed to prove to his people that he was going to be able to lead them and taking this journey on his own was the first step. So he’d said his goodbyes at the palace, the queen tearing up at the thought of her son going on land and the king calmly reminding him to stay safe. He had felt a pang of nervousness as he had left, he’d never been away from his parents like this.

Yuuri fingered the pearl in the pouch strapped around his lower arm, one of the few of his belongings that he could actually take onto land. It was small and smooth, part of a gift from his parents for his tenth birthday. It had been part of an art piece, a depiction of the palace made of pieces of shells. The top had been adorned with the pearl, though the true palace itself had no such thing. His mother had warned him of its fragility, that with one small push it could easily break. He supposed now, that it may have been some sort of lesson, because it was not long before the creation had broken. The shells, though broken before, were little more than dust. The only thing that had been left was the pearl from the top, still as round and smooth as it had been before the world had crumbled beneath it.

“Are you ready to surface?” Otabek, one of the Guard who had been chosen to accompany Yuuri, asked. The rest of the entourage stood behind him: Mickey, a temperamental male, his sister Sara a laidback mermaid who Yuuri could tell was already annoyed with her brother who had been snapping at the fourth member, Emil, for jokingly flirting with her. Yuuri hadn’t had much interaction with their fourth travel mate before, and he was having a hard time figuring him out. He was the tallest in the group, and despite Otabek’s dark look, he looked like he could easily best anyone there in a fight. And yet, he allowed Mickey to boss him around.

“Prince Yuuri?” Otabek’s voice brought him back to the present.

“Yes, yes. I’m ready. And it’s just Yuuri.” Otabek didn’t answer and Yuuri hoped he wouldn’t be spending the whole trip trying to get them to treat him like a normal merman.

All worries about formalities were quickly erased from his head, however, as Otabek nodded to the group and they began to ascend. The water around him lightened as he swam towards the surface, with increasing amounts of sunlight reaching down to him. He could vaguely tell that the water was warmer than he was used to, but mermaids didn’t sense temperatures quite the same as other species. He could see the sun, blurry and shaking through a screen of ocean water. He flicked his tail faster, anticipation getting the better of him. Otabek made a sound of protest as he passed him, but Yuuri barely heard it.

The surface was so close, he could almost reach out and grab it. He stretched his hand forward and his fingertips grasped for the open air.

And then his fingers broke through the surface and the rest of him was soon to follow.

It was bright, much brighter than he had anticipated. After spending almost all of his life on the ocean floor, with nothing but the glowing rocks to light his way, the surface was nearly blinding. Otabek surfaced next to him and the others followed after. They were in some sort of alcove, a small strip of shore sheltered from the rest of the land mass.

“There are some sun protectant glasses with our clothes, they will help your eyes adjust to the light.” Otabek informed him, already taking long strokes towards the shore. Yuuri followed, his heart beating hard at the idea of finally stepping onto land.

There was something both so exciting and absolutely terrifying about the concept. It was something he had dreamed about for years, the way it would feel to leave the water, to have feet instead of fins. But there was always that little nagging in the back of his head that whispered doubts into his ear. What if it wasn’t as wonderful as Yuuri expected? What if humans really weren’t anything more than the creatures who were destroying his home? And possibly the worst question of all: What if it truly was everything he had ever dreamed of? What was he supposed to dream of if his wildest dream had already come true?

The merman shook his head, his damp hair falling into his eyes. That was a new sensation as his hair normally floated effortlessly in the water. He felt the water shallowing underneath him and he worried that maybe he wouldn’t transform. He could see Otabek slightly ahead of him, his tail already beginning to split. Flipping over, he found that it was already shallow enough for him to sit with his head and shoulders above the water. He scooted backwards, the rocks underneath him scraping at his hands, until his entire torso was out of the water. He felt heavy, as if the whole weight of the ocean was suddenly on his shoulders.

The he felt it, a sharp pain at the base of his tail that traveled up almost all the way to his naval. His eyes widened as he watched his tail split apart, forming two sides that were solidifying. Things inside of him shifted around, and there was a stinging sensation on his neck as his gills sealed. Suddenly his chest was burning, he had expected the rest of the pain but not this. Black spots swam across his vision and he grasped at the air, though he wasn’t sure what he was looking for.

A hand smacked him squarely in the back, the sudden impact causing him to gasp loudly. The burning in his chest subsided and quickly as it had arrived.

“You’ve got to breathe up here.” Sara laughed at his confused face. “Suck air in through your mouth or nose and then push it back out.” Yuuri tried, sucking in a mouth full of air and then exhaling forcefully.

“How do humans concentrate on doing this?” He asked, reminding himself again to take a breath. Sara laughed again, patting him on the shoulder.

“Your body will do it automatically soon enough, you’re usually good to go after that first initial breath.” She looked down at him and smiled. “So are you going to try out those new legs or not?”

Yuuri’s head snapped down to look at the two appendages that now protruded from his lower half. The dark hues of his tail had faded away, leaving skin that was a similar color to his upper body. The young prince wiggled his toes experimentally, almost shouting in excitement when they responded. Otabek and Mickey, who were both already fully formed and standing upright, reached down on either side of him and gripped him under his arm pits.

“Okay Yuuri on three we’re going to pull you up and you need to put your weight on your feet. It will be a little unstable at first so hold onto us until you get your balance.” Mickey informed him. The Guard members grunted and hauled Yuuri out of the water.

He placed his feet down, feeling again the weird sensation of having a whole ocean pressing down on him. Swaying a bit, he gripped Otabek’s shoulder. The Guard member stayed still, allowing his prince to gain his feet.

“Now you have to put one foot in front of the other. That’s how you walk.” A voice came from behind, and Yuuri turned his head to find that Emil had emerged from the water. He demonstrated his instructions, making it seem as simple as swimming. Yuuri nodded his head and lifted one foot.

And promptly fell face first into the water.

He felt hands on his shoulders, quickly pulling him from the water.

“If you’re submerged too long you’ll begin to change back.” Otabek said after he had helped Yuuri get back up.

“Emil why don’t you find something useful to, like going and getting the clothes.” Mickey snapped at the other Guard member. Emil laughed but left to do just as Mickey ordered.

“Now maybe try it a bit slower, make sure you’re completely stable before lifting your foot each time.”

“Maybe if you don’t think about it too much, just let your body do it.”

“No you need to concentrate on keeping your balance with every step.”

“Could everyone just be quiet for a minute?” He knew the others were trying to help but their warring opinions weren’t helping anyone. He placed one foot forward, then the other, and somehow, he just kept going. He walked to the shoreline and turned back to his entourage to raise his hands in victory.

The move probably would have been more impressive if he hadn’t immediately fell onto his back after.

Yuuri managed to push himself back up just as Emil returned with stacks of cloth in his hands. He was wearing some sort of covering, though Yuuri wasn’t sure what the purpose was. Emil handed him a couple pieces of the cloth and set the rest on the shore. He directed Yuuri back behind a small grove of trees and instructed him as to how to robe himself in the cloths.

“What is the point of this?” Yuuri asked as he pulled what Emil had referred to as a ‘shirt’ over his head. The cloth was scratchy against his skin, a foreign feeling as Yuuri had never covered his upper body before. Nobody did, mermen swam bare chested while mermaids had a band of scales that wrapped around their chest.

“Humans are much more worried about covering themselves than we are. So if we want to blend in we have to do the same.”

Yuuri emerged, feeling ridiculous but hoping he was wearing the human clothing correctly. He was sad to cover up his new legs with the stiff material (he couldn’t remember what those were called and made a mental note to ask Emil) but he liked the colorful blue ‘shirt’. Emil gave him a thumbs up and they went to rejoin the group.

The others were dressed mostly the same, everyone clad in shirts and what Emil had revealed were called pants. Otabek handed him a small contraption that looked like two clear pieces of sea glass held together pieces of some sturdy black object.

“These should help your eyes adjust to the sunlight. Once you’ve been on a land a couple times your eyes should adjust naturally and you won’t need the glasses.” He showed Yuuri how to slip them onto his face and the world around him was brought into focus.

“Where are we?” He asked as he looked around. The ground was largely made up of dark rocks and the few trees were large and deep green. He had thought that trees were supposed to be soft, much like the other land plants he had learned about, but these looked prickly.

“Were on the land mass that humans call Russia.” Otabek answered. “Though werewolf and vampire clans roam across here, it’s largely considered neutral territory which is why the meeting will be held here.”

“Otabek the sun is already starting to go down. We should head into town before it starts getting dark.” Sara spoke up and Otabek nodded, beginning to walk towards the trees.

Yuuri looked down, watching as he carefully placed one foot in front of the other. His hand went to the pearl that he had moved into the pocket on the so called pants. He felt its unchanging smoothness, a reminder of his home as he walked away from the ocean.

*****************************************

                Viktor spread his wings, feeling the warm currents catching over the tips of his feathers. They fluttered behind him, a small symphony carried off by the wind. He watched as the clouds moved swiftly by him in a sea of never ending white.

                His father had bid him goodbye from the comfort of his castle. He had secretly hoped that he would actually see him off but he knew such an idea wasn’t like his father. Even in the confines of his own castle he hadn’t shown much affection for his son, simply repeated his advice from the day before.

                “Don’t disappoint me.”

                He wasn’t sure why he had expected anything more, his father had never been overly affectionate and he highly doubted that would suddenly change. Nonetheless, he had a job to do, to show his people how capable he was of acting on his own. He didn’t need his father’s encouragement, no matter how much he secretly wanted it. He would do this on his own, just as he had done everything.

                “Victor are you ready to head down?” Chris asked, being one of the ones who would accompany him to the earth. The others waited behind him, their feet set near the edge of the precipice. The rest of the company were older angels, tasked with making sure Victor did nothing to embarrass the kingdom while on earth. One of the older angles was Lilia, an advisor to his father who resembled more harpy than angel. Her normally downturned mouth only accentuated her beak like face, and her constantly bad disposition had the younger angels rumoring that she was a direct descendant of the furies of Greek mythology. She glared at the prince and Victor knew she saw this as nothing more than glorified babysitting.

                If it made her feel any better, he didn’t want her there any more than she wanted to be there herself.

                “Yes. Let’s go.” He stretched his wings to their full potential, easily dwarfing even the older angels accompanying them. An angel’s wings were a point of pride and it wasn’t simply the sheer size of his wingspan that set him above the rest. His feathers were a pristine white, not mottled or dusty colored like the others. He supposed from far away it would be easy to mistake their feathers as white, but up close you could tell that they weren’t quite. His bright white wings were a sign of his heritage, an inheritance to match the crown he would soon bear.

                He watched the other angels let the wind catch beneath their wings as they stepped off of the edge, their bodies bobbing on the currents. The prince turned back for one last look at the castle. He didn’t know why, but he suddenly felt very distant from the life he had lived only yesterday.

                Victor shook his head and angled his wings to catch on the air. He felt the warm current sweep over his feathers, ruffling them slightly. Stepping off the precipice, he dropped through the clouds. The only belongings he was taking with him were a pack of clothes, strapped to his back in between his wings. It felt weird to fly with the weight but it didn’t seem to effect his flying.

                Large white wings stirred the clouds as they slowed his speed, spreading out nearly flat behind him to allow him to glide on the currents. He could see the others a bit farther down than him and he had sudden impulse to dive.

                So he did.

                Victor folded his wings as close to his back as he could with the pack on and he dropped like a stone. He easily passed up the other members of his party, earning a shout from Chris and annoyed huff from who he could only guess was Lilia. The wind rushed past him at an exhilarating speed and his hair whipped almost painfully at his cheeks. He could hear nothing but the whistle of the air around him and he wondered if there was anything more exciting than falling.

                “Victor!” He could hear Chris shouting behind him, interrupting his cocoon of rushing air. He flipped himself over so he could stare upwards, watching as Chris tried to yell something more. The wind ripped his words away and left Victor puzzled by the alarmed look on his companion’s face. Chris gestured pointedly below and Victor flipped himself back over. He finally broke through the clouds and he could see the green land beneath him. He could see it too well.

                He was hurtling straight towards the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean.

                Finally understanding Chris’ urgency, Victor snapped his wings out. He was sure that anyone with a smaller wingspan would have found themselves smashed against the rocks, but thankfully his large wings caught enough air to slow his descent.

                While they kept him from meeting death on the cliff, they didn’t stop him from hitting the ground running, jarring his legs painfully and sending him sprawling out across the grass. He quickly pulled his wings into his back to avoid damaging the delicate feathers with his rough landing. When his body had finally come to a stop, he laid on his back and stared up at the sky he had just fallen from.

                He could see the others, their descent much more controlled than his. They landed easily on the grass and none of them even so much as tripped. Chris extended a hand down to him and hauled him to his feet, his face a mixture of amusement and sheer terror. It was an interesting look.

                “Next time you decide to plummet through the air you should try to find something a bit softer to land on.” He chuckled, his amusement winning over the fear now that he knew Victor was ok.

                “I’ll be sore for the next few days that’s for certain.” Victor responded. He rubbed his shoulder which had come into particularly hard contact with one of the boulders on the cliff edge.

                “And so you should be.” Lilia snapped as she folded her wings into her back. Victor just shrugged and brushed the dirt off of his clothes. He turned and smiled widely, his eyes taking in the area around them.

                It wasn’t much, a few sparse pine trees littered the cliff and the dark ocean crashed against the rocky shore below. He could vaguely see some figures down below the cliff but they were too far away for him to notice anything more than the fact that they weren’t wearing clothes. He had never seen anyone shirtless before, much less completely naked. Angels always wore their white clothing, even the guys.

                “Let’s head into town. It’s going to be a long walk.” Chris commented. He must have noticed the confused look on Victor’s face because he laughed. “You didn’t think we’d be able to just fly around down here did you?”

                “I guess not.” He could feel the cool breeze through the slits in his shirt made for his wings. It kissed the hot skin of his back, though whether it stung from his clumsy landing or the itching from having his wings away he wasn’t sure. He had been so focused on getting to go to earth he hadn’t considered how annoying it would be to have his wings away for days.

                Chris began to trudge down the cliff, his shoes slapping against the hard ground. Victor was a bit disappointed with the scenery. He had been hoping for bright flowers, maybe a beautiful sunset full of all of the colors he could think of. Squinting up at the sun, he could tell it was still a bit before sunset so maybe he’d get part of his wish anyway. He adjusted the straps of his pack and followed after his group.

                By the time they’d reached the bottom of the cliff, Victor’s legs were burning and he was huffing for breath. If angel’s blood like a human’s, rather than the light silvery color it was, he was sure his whole face would be red with exertion. At the bottom was some sort of road, though it was covered with some sort of dark hard material. Chris kept marching on and seemed to be following the road somewhere.

                Victor hoped that somewhere included a bed and a hot shower. He’d been on earth for less than an hour but he already felt like all of its dirt was already clinging to his skin. The others didn’t look nearly as tired, though to be fair Lilia never looked anything other than annoyed. He figured she could run miles and never show anything but disdain.

                “We should be nearing the town soon.” Chris spoke up a few minutes later, though Victor could swear that they had been walking for hours. He could see the faint light of the town ahead glowing through the dying light. The sun was setting, but down here on the flat land the trees blocked out any hope he’d had of seeing it set. It was chilly here, and Victor had been warned of the Russian winter so he had luckily brought a long a warm coat. He slipped it on and prayed that they would reach the town soon.

                They rounded a copse of trees and entered a small town. The street lights were beginning to awaken, their light illuminating a row of tiny shops and one slightly larger building that Victor assumed was the hotel.

                “Why exactly did we choose such a small town?” He questioned. Surely the locals would notice when their population suddenly swelled with the addition of a few supernatural creatures.

                “We didn’t. Seeing as we can go almost anywhere we don’t get much say in the meeting locations.” Lilia answered. “They needed to find somewhere that the wolves could run to, that was also close to the main vampire coven and had a shore for the mermaids to arrive.”

                Her tone of voice when discussing the other species mirrored the general feeling that angels held to their supernatural inferiors. They were worth meeting with occasionally, but probably not much more.

                Victor had been right in his guess that the larger building was the hotel. The manager seemed ecstatic to have guests, though he remarked that they had already had a surprisingly large group of travelers arrive.

                “Are you having some sort of family reunion? You look so similar to our other guests!” He clapped his hands happily, not noticing the way the comparison made his new tenants bristle. Victor choked back a laugh and Lilia’s harpy glare pinned him to the spot. He gave her a dazzling smile, causing her glare to harden even more, and followed the hotel manager as he led them to their rooms.

                Nothing could dampen his mood. Not long walks or bad landings, and certainly not grumpy old ladies.

                He was on earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review/leave kudos and let me know if you want me to continue!


	3. A Town of Ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paths cross on a trip to a museum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter and please let me know what you think and if I should continue! Happy reading.

Voices.  
Victor’s eyes shot open, a blank white ceiling greeting them. For a moment he thought he was back in his bedroom at the castle, but the previous day’s events crashed into his mind. He sat up, wondering why his companions were being so loud.   
Chris was the only one in the room and Victor looked around wondering where the voices were coming from. The voices were coming from a small box set on the table. Bright colors flashed outward, slightly illuminating the dark room.   
“Is that a television?” Victor asked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He crawled across the bed to take a closer look.   
“Yes. The voice called this HBO.” Chris responded, not looking away from the images on the box. Victor moved closer, his fingers reaching out to brush across the smooth surface. The humans on the screen were arguing about something and they seemed to be in someone’s home. The previously bright colors were now muted and Victor wondered why.   
“I think they’re in love but they’re mad about something.” Chris’ voice came from behind Victor, trying to help him understand what was going on. The couple moved closer, their yells getting louder until suddenly they were kissing.  
Victor was a little shocked. Angels were very conservative about affection, especially between men and women. He’d barely seen angels hold hands much less kiss. Chris’ face looked equally shocked, but somehow still very intrigued. Victor wondered if, as the prince, he should do something.  
“Uh…” He started but Chris didn’t seem to hear him. The humans’ kissing seemed to be getting more intense, moaning coming from the television. Victor really hoped that Lilia and Yakov couldn’t hear them from their connecting rooms.   
The couple on the screen had reached a bedroom and the male was pushing the shirt of the girl over her head. The girl was wearing nothing underneath.  
“Chris!” Victor shouted, surprised by the nudity. Chris jumped and at the same time, Yakov walked through the door.   
Chris fumbled with the television, mashing the buttons to try to figure out how to turn it off. The moaning noises were getting louder and more frequent, but Victor kept his eyes trained on Yakov, whose face was now an unhealthy looking purple.   
“This is not something an angel, especially a prince, should be seeing.” He barked, his eyes bugling a bit as the man on the television disrobed. All Chris had seemed to do was find the buttons that made the sound get louder.   
Lilia walked in from behind Yakov, her face as stern as ever. She reached down and pressed something on the side of the box, and the screen went black. Thankfully the loud moaning had stopped as well.   
“I see you two have figured out how to use a T.V.” She stated. Neither Victor nor Chris answered, Victor once again thanking the universe that angels couldn’t blush while Chris just stared in horror up at the older woman. Victor brushed his hair out of his eyes and got off of the bed, his white sleep pants hung low on his hips but his oversized white shirt ensured no skin showed.   
“If you two are done, we are going to head into town.” Yakov didn’t wait for an answer, simply returned to his room muttering something under his breath.   
“Your father will be hearing about this.” Lilia said coldly before she too exited the room. Victor groaned, knowing the purity lecture he was sure to get from his father. Chris looked apologetically at him.  
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know that was going to happen.” He didn’t sound particularly sorry, but then again Chris wasn’t usually actually sorry for most of the things he did. It was part of the reason that Victor enjoyed his company. He was pretty open about his actual thoughts, unlike most angels who worried more about propriety than honesty, and was fairly unapologetic about it.   
“Let’s just get ready to go.” Victor began to rummage through his pack, finding a pair of white slacks and a white shirt, not too different than what he already had on.   
“Don’t you think the humans will think it’s weird that were dressed in all white?” Chris asked. Victor looked up at him and watched in surprise as he pulled his shirt off. Victor looked him up and down, having never seen a bare chested person this close before, other than himself of course. He was fairly muscular without being overtly so, you could see the faint outlines of muscle all over his chest and arms. He had a slim chest but well defined abs which were accentuated by a trail of darker hair that ran from his navel to beneath the waist band of his pants.  
“Victor?” His eyes snapped up to Chris’ face, which was adorned with a knowing smirk. Victor clutched his clothes to him and scrambled for the bathroom, tripping over his shoes as he did so.   
He could hear Chris laughing from the room, though it was muted by the sound of his pounding heart.   
He’d been more embarrassed during his one day on earth that he had ever been during his whole life back home. First watching a couple get intimate, then openly staring at his friend’s naked torso. He could only imagine what his father would say.   
Victor finished dressing and gathered the courage the reemerge from the bathroom. Chris was sitting on his bed, fully clothed and acting as though nothing had happened. Of course to Chris it had probably been nothing, just Victor being weird.   
“Are you two ready?” Yakov asked through the door, probably worried he’d walk in on another HBO moment. Chris let him in and the three angles waited for Lilia to emerge from her room.   
Lilia’s outfit wasn’t too different from the boys, her clothes only slightly tailored to give her a more feminine shape. Victor looked at each other them, their clothes stark white, and gave some thought to Chris’ question.   
“Yakov, will we stick out too much?” If he was being honest, he was wondering if he could convince his teacher to allow him to wear something other than white, though he wasn’t sure where they would get new clothing. The town may be small but it had to have a clothing store somewhere right?   
“We’ve met in this town for a long time. The humans here have gotten used to seeing such things.”   
Victor sighed but he couldn’t be too disappointed. He doubted that even if their clothes were a distraction, Yakov wouldn’t have allowed Victor to dress in anything else. Forget Yakov, Lilia would have found a way to contact his father directly to relay his son’s indiscretions.  
The group headed out, heading down the stairs as the hotel was too old to have elevators. Victor had been excited to use one of those, but he guessed he couldn’t have both a television and an elevator.   
“Have a good day!” The man behind the desk said with a smile. Yakov and Lilia ignored him, they both felt like humans were too far beneath them to deign making unnecessary conversation with.   
“Thank you very much sir!” Victor responded cheerfully, waving to him as they walked out the doors. Lilia gave an annoyed sigh but Victor pretended he hadn’t heard it. He was fascinated by humans and their inventions, and he planned to get as much experience with them as possible.   
Yakov and Lilia walked down the street, their white clothes standing out against the dull town. Even in the morning light the town wasn’t much to look at. All of the buildings were darkly colored, their exteriors either painted that way or faded with age. Snow covered the ground and crunched under their feet, and Victor vaguely wondered if he’d ever get to see anything other than white. Some children were playing in the snow outside one of the buildings and they stopped their play to stare at the group passing. An older woman came out of the building, eyeing the strangers warily and calling the children inside. They groaned but trundled inside, the last and youngest one stopping to turn and look back. Victor waved at him and earned a small smile before the child was ushered indoors.   
“Are the humans scared of us?” Chris asked. Victor pondered the question. The man at the hotel had been quite friendly, though in a town this small any business at the hotel probably put the man in the best of spirits. However, none of the humans had looked very kindly at the group since they’d left the hotel, and the way the woman had glared at them had not exactly been welcoming.   
“These meetings have not always been peaceful, though for the past decade nothing major has occurred. This town has been witness to some nasty battles between the species.” Yakov mused. “However I do not doubt that warnings about us have been passed down from generation to generation.”   
Victor looked down at his feet shuffling through the snow and wondered how much the angels’ arrogance had to play in these fights. If the angels spoke to the other species the same way they spoke about them then it would come as no surprise that some would get a little fired up. From what he had heard the vampires and werewolves had a nasty temper, though if he was being honest he didn’t know how much of that stereotype arose from angels trying to absolve themselves from any blame in the scuffles.   
“Where are we going?” Victor asked, realizing they had reached the end of the row of buildings that seemed to make up the town.   
“There’s a small museum at the edge of town. Your father thought it would be beneficial for you to learn some human history while you were down here.” Lilia stated. He rolled his eyes. Leave it to his father to try to turn this whole thing into another history lesson. He’d been taught about history his whole life, the history of the angels, the other species and the humans. His father believed that knowing the histories was the only way to uphold the traditions, though Victor was beginning to believe that knowing the histories was the reason that some of the traditions should be changed.   
“If I knew I was just going on another school trip I would have stayed at the Academy.” Chris mumbled. The two older angels gave no sign that they had heard him. Chris leaned over to Victor, his breath fogging the air around Victor’s face. “If I got to choose what we were doing, we’d go to that little bar in town and find out what the deal is with human alcohol.”   
Victor laughed, though he was a little shocked. Forget what happened that morning, if they were ever caught consuming human alcohol his father would lock him up in the castle for the rest of his life.   
Or worse. They could be banished.  
He’d only seen one angel be banished. It was an older angel and the only thing Victor could really remember was that he’d had some sort of relationship with a human. He had been caught sneaking down to earth and without even a trial the king had banished him. Being banished was brutal, you couldn’t ever return to angel land, and to ensure that, your wings were cut. There was a large sword that hung on the wall in the castle and its sole purpose was the cut wings. It was almost beautiful, though the beauty was a terrifying reminder that even angels weren’t above punishment. The ground was littered with feathers and silvery angel blood dripped from the man’s back. The blood glistened on the ground and, even though Victor had been young at the time, he had found it hard to look away. Then the man had been carried to earth and he was never seen again.  
Their arrival at the museum pulled Victor from his thoughts. The building was small, like most of the buildings in the town, and built out of a light brown brick. The only color came from the sign sitting over the door that read:  
Музей истории  
Victor was fluent in Russian, as he was in a lot of human languages, and knew the sign roughly translated to “Museum of History”. They entered the building and Victor noticed that the inside was just a dully decorated as the outside. A young woman sat behind a circular desk in the middle of the room, the top of the desk littered in papers and brochures. She looked up, smiling as she began to welcome the visitors.  
“Welc…” She caught sight of the strangers in the lobby and the words died on her lips. Her smile faltered and her mouth dropped open into a soft ‘o’. She blinked and shook her head as she realized she was staring.   
“Welcome to the museum of history! How can I help you?” She seemed to be back to her original cheerfulness, though Victor could tell that it was forced. Yakov told her that they wanted to go through the museum and she gathered together a map and a few brochures.   
“There’s already a group in there so please be courteous.” She opened a door behind the desk and let them into the main part of the museum. The museum was dimly lit, with brighter lights illuminating the exhibits. The first exhibit was a bunch of wax figure cavemen, crudely dressed with long stringy hair. Victor rolled his eyes and hoped that the whole museum wasn’t the same quality.   
Unfortunately for him it was. Which was to be expected from a small town with an even smaller museum. Every exhibit featured a group of wax figures that all looked similar except for their state of dress and grooming. Yakov made them stop at each and every one so he could give his explanation about whatever historic event the figures were supposed to be depicting. He was ignoring him while feigning attention, a feat not too easy considering the only other people there were Chris and Lilia. Yakov didn’t expect Chris to listen anyway and Lilia had walked off almost as soon as Yakov had stated talking.   
He could hear voices up ahead and figured they’d caught up with the other group, their laughter echoing off the walls of the museum. Yakov looked annoyed by the loud people in front of them but Victor was hoping they’d get closer. At least if they were funny he’d get some enjoyment out of this trip.   
They rounded the corner and Victor could see the group in the dimly lit hallway. They were all dark haired, and much like their own group, there were a couple men and a woman. Lucky for them, the girl with them was at least half Lilia’s age and looked much nicer. They were all dressed in bright colors and Victor wondered if they were from the town or just visiting.   
The group turned, having heard the others come up behind them and Victor’s breath caught in his throat. Right in front of him was one of the most beautiful beings he’d ever seen. A shock of jet black hair laid effortlessly over a pair of the deepest eyes he’d ever seen. A bright blue shirt matched the glasses that perched on his nose, making his eyes seem twice as bright. He had a lithe build but Victor could see the muscle that lay just under his skin. The boy caught his gaze and blushed, and it was the most vibrant color Victor had ever seen.   
“And here I thought I was the only one who could get your attention like that.” Chris pouted into his ear. Victor’s head snapped around, realizing he had been openly staring at the boy. When he peeked back, the group had continued down the hall and the boy was lost in the shadows. Yakov resumed his teaching though now Victor couldn’t even pretend to be listening. All he could think about was the color of that boy, the black, the blue, the red.  
He wondered if he’d ever be able to look at white the same way again.   
**************************************************************************************************************************************************************  
“Yuuri wake up!”  
Yuuri groggily opened his eyes and wondered why there was someone in his room. Emil stood over him, his face hovering only inches above. Suddenly remembering where he was, Yuuri sat up. However, in his groggy state, he forgot that there wasn’t any water pressure and his movements sent him crashing into Emil.   
“Eager aren’t we?” The guard said, rubbing his forehead where a red spot was already forming. Yuuri apologized profusely, to which Emil simply laughed and told him to get dressed. He still wasn’t sure why humans had so many different types of clothes, surely the clothes that you slept in could be worn out as well?   
Yuuri slipped into a light blue shirt, the collar scooping below his neck, and paired it with what Emil had told him were ‘jeans’. The pants fit snugly but Emil assured him that he looked okay in his human garb. He placed his glasses on his face, though they didn’t do much for him inside.  
Emil, Otabek and Yuuri had stayed in the same room, with Otabek taking the floor despite Yuuri’s many protests.   
“What do you think Celestino would do if he found out I let the prince sleep on the floor?” Otabek had asked when Yuuri had told him to take his bed. Emil suggested that he and Otabek could rotate sleeping in the bed, which Otabek was much more agreeable to. Yuuri wished they’d let him rotate with them, to try to make it fair, but he knew that wasn’t going to happen. He had barely gotten them to agree to stop calling him “Prince Yuuri”.   
Mickey and Sara had stayed in the room next door and they met them in the hallway to decide what they would do for the day. The first meeting wasn’t until later that night, so they had all afternoon to kill time.   
“We could go check out the shops in town.” Sara suggested. Otabek rolled his eyes though Mickey agreed. They spent some time throwing ideas back and forth, nothing sounding like something everyone wanted to do.  
“Last time I was here, there was a little museum at the edge of town.” Otabek spoke up, figuring a museum would be the quietest activity suggested. Yuuri’s face lit up at the idea of getting to learn some human history, straight from the source.  
“I vote for that!” Yuuri exclaimed and then blushed when everyone turned to look at him. The others laughed and Emil patted the prince on the back.  
“The museum it is.”  
The man in the lobby greeted them cheerfully, and they all stopped to chat. They asked the man about the museum and he gave them directions. After thanking the man, they set out into the quiet town. Nobody seemed to be out and the blanket of snow muted any sound other than the crunching of the snow underneath their feet. The morning air was crisp and Yuuri could see his breath. He watched it billow outward from his lips, curling into the air and away from his face. He knew that his visible breath was a sign of how cold it was, but having lived at the bottom of the ocean for his whole life, he didn’t really feel the sting of the cold air.   
He wondered if the merpeople who got stuck on land ever grew accustomed to the weather. At some point did you just realize you were cold or hot? Was it a gradual acclimation or did it happen all at once. Did one then have to put even more clothes on then were already required?   
“Do you think there will be any cute werewolves tonight?” Sara asked, her voice serious but Yuuri could see a joking twinkle in her eye. Emil laughed but Mickey groaned, knowing he would have to keep an eye on his sister at the meeting tonight.   
“You’re not running off with any wolves tonight.” He growled and she thumped him on the forehead, right between his eyes.  
“I can do what I please!” She exclaimed good naturedly. “What do you think Otabek? You gonna look for some cute creatures tonight?” She giggled as the group turned to look at Otabek who was composed as ever.  
“I’m going to do my job, which is to watch Prince Yuuri.” He responded curtly. Sara rolled her eyes and turned to Yuuri.  
“What about you? I’m sure someone as cute as you could have a romp with a cute vampire. They dig the whole dark haired look you’ve got going on.” She giggled again, reaching over to tousle his hair.   
“I don’t think I’m going to attract anyone.” Yuuri laughed, his cheeks warming with blush. “I probably look like a fish out of water, pun intended.”  
The others burst into laughter and even Otabek managed to crack a small smile. Sara’s smile faded though and she stopped in her tracks, her hand flashing out to smack into Yuuri’s chest. He stumbled to a halt, the girl standing with her nose almost touching his. Her eyes studied him for a while and Yuuri wondered what she was looking for.  
“Don’t tell me you really don’t understand how attractive you are.” She finally sighed, turning her head away from him. Yuuri felt the flush from earlier spread up his skin and he was sure his entire face was bright red.   
“I….um…I don’t know.” He stuttered. He wasn’t really sure what to say in the situation. He’d never really worried about his appearance, he hadn’t deemed it that important. But even so, he didn’t believe he could be attractive enough to lure someone from one of the other species.   
He was just…Yuuri.   
“This boy doesn’t realize that half of the merpeople back home drool after him.” Sara threw her hands up. The other guys looked uncomfortable, not quite knowing if they were supposed to speak up or not.   
“Are we going to the museum or not?” Otabek asked, interrupting Sara’s ranting about how attractive Yuuri was. Yuuri could have hugged the guard for stopping the tirade.   
“Fine. But we’re going to have a serious talk about your self-image when we get back.” Sara told Yuuri sternly. The prince gulped and nodded, worried she’d start up another lecture if he didn’t. Otabek led the group across the snow covered land and they lapsed into silence. The wind had picked up and Yuuri had the weird feeling that if they spoke it would rip the words from their lips.   
They reached the museum, or what Yuuri assumed was the museum. The building was small and there was a sign hanging above the door that had something written in Russian. Otabek held the door open and they filed in, the wind spraying snow into the lobby. The air rushed past them and sent papers fluttering around the circular desk that sat in the middle of the lobby.   
The girl sitting behind the desk scrambled to hold her papers down, but brochures flew everywhere. Otabek shut the door firmly behind them and muttered an embarrassed “sorry” to the poor girl.  
“No problem!” She said cheerfully. She glanced up at the group and her mouth dropped open. Her eyes raked up and down them, finally settling on Yuuri. A slight blush was creeping up her cheeks and Yuuri felt his face mirror it as she continued to stare. Otabek cleared his throat and she giggled.  
“How can I help you?” She was addressing the group, though her eyes were still trained on Yuuri. He vaguely wondered if this was what Sara was talking about. If it was, Yuuri preferred when he was able to ignore it. He didn’t like being stared at, it made him feel like there was something wrong with him.  
“We’d like to tour the museum please.” Emil spoke up. The girl glanced at him and he flashed her a smile. The smile usually won him some attention from the mermaids back home, but the girl simply turned back to Yuuri.  
“Of course! I’ve got a map here that you can use.” She handed them one of the now crumpled papers strewn across her desk. “Or I could give you a personal tour.” She winked at Yuuri and he heard Sara choke back a laugh behind him.   
“I think we can manage.” Otabek said. The girl looked a little crest fallen but she showed the group to the door to the main part of the museum. Yuuri gave her a small smile as he walked past her and her spirits seemed to return.  
“Enjoy yourself!” Her smile in return seemed to take up half of her face. Yuuri walked quickly through the door before she could say anything more.   
“See Yuuri?” Sara barked out a laugh as soon as the door had shut behind them. Yuuri blushed again and he wondered if he’d ever blushed as much as he already had that morning.   
He thought back to what Sara had said about having a fling with someone of a different species. It wasn’t uncommon for hookups to occur at these meetings, except for the angels of course. For some reason they seemed to find themselves above such things, and only mingled with the other species when absolutely necessary. He’d heard plenty stories about wolves and vampires, and sometimes some of the other smaller species that didn’t come to the species meetings as often. He remembered a particularly interesting story about a forest nymph that he’d over heard one of the older members of the Guard telling.   
No, flings weren’t uncommon, nor were they particularly frowned upon. The problem, of course, came when it was time to leave. He was sure that longer relationships may bloom between the land species, but for merpeople it was hard to maintain a relationship when you had to spend the majority of your time miles under the ocean. From what he had heard, merfolk had their flings and then at some point, grew up and settled down with another merperson. It was just easier that way.   
“Get a load of this thing.” Emil laughed, pointing at the crudely made exhibit. The others, Otabek excluded, mimicked the primitive humans, grunting and groaning until they erupted in laughter. Yuuri laughed at their antics, but stooped to read the plaque placed in front of the cavemen.   
So it went for the next few exhibits. Emil, Mickey and Sara would poke fun, Otabek would watch quietly and Yuuri would absorb as much information as possible. It was all interesting to him. They had books at the palace, as someone years ago had figured out how to drain the water from one of the rooms and had brought down waterproof chests full of them. Yuuri had spent many days slumped against the water hole in the bottom of the room, his tail submerged but his hands as dry as possible so as not to damage the reading material. He loved the books, but it seemed that whoever had brought them down had simply grabbed whatever he could find. If Yuuri wanted to read more than one book on a subject, he was out of luck.   
Yuuri planned to take advantage of his time on land to learn anything and everything he could about humans and the other species. He wouldn’t waste a single opportunity, because with how cautious his parents were, he wasn’t sure when he’d get another one.  
They were a couple exhibits in when they heard another group approaching from behind. One of them seemed to be explaining the exhibits and Yuuri strained to hear what he was saying. The voice stopped, however, as they approached the mermaids. The group turned to see the other museum visitors and Yuuri was surprised by the stark white clothing they each wore. And it clicked in his head.  
These were angels.  
The angels either didn’t realize who they were, or they didn’t care. They probably didn’t think they were worthy of conversation whether they were human or not. Yuuri felt the pressure of eyes on him, and he glanced up.  
He locked eyes with the brightest blue he had ever seen. When he realized the angel had been staring at him, he felt yet another blush color his cheeks. Silvery hair caressed the boy’s cheek and Yuuri had the strangest urge to touch it, to see if it was as soft as it looked. The other boy looked away quickly and Yuuri felt a pang at the loss of looking into those eyes. It was weird. Usually when people stared, he felt awkward and ashamed, but there was something different in this angel’s eyes.  
Of course he was an angel, so Yuuri was probably imagining it. There was no way an angel would ever stoop to the level of the other species and Yuuri would be surprised if this boy even spoke to him.   
Otabek urged the group forward, no doubt recognizing just as Yuuri did what species they were dealing with. The older angel turned his head, as if acting like they weren’t there. Sara rolled her eyes at the action and opened her mouth to make a comment, but a stern glare from Otabek kept her silent. They moved down the hallway, putting a few exhibits in between them and the angels.  
Despite the distance, Yuuri felt as though he could still feel the angel’s eyes on him.  
It wasn’t the worst feeling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think and if I should continue.


	4. The Gathering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They attend the meeting of the species.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading and leaving comments and kudos on my fic. I'm really liking it so far and I hope you are too!   
> Note: Everyone in this fic is around 18 with Yurio being the youngest at 17. Except for the adults, JJ is the oldest at 23.

               Yuuri blinked as the group exited the museum, the sunlight streaming brightly in contrast to the dim exhibit light. He had barely seen the rest of the exhibits and if anyone had asked he wouldn’t be able to describe what the tail end of the museum even looked like, despite having just left it. His mind was occupied by bright blue eyes and shining silver hair.

                He was confused. He hated when people stared at him, it made him anxious. But he had felt that boy’s on him and it had sparked warmth in his chest. He ran a hand over his gills, now only two raised lines underneath his ears.

                “Did you see that angel?” Sara gushed, bringing Yuuri out of his thoughts. “If that’s what heaven looks like then I can die right now.” Mickey grumbled something about ‘stupid sisters’ under his breath and Emil laughed.

                “Too bad they’d never give you a second look.” Emil laughed. “You’re not pure enough for them”

                Yuuri pondered that statement. He knew angels felt superior to the other species, but he wasn’t very sure as to why. Technically speaking, they were no more powerful than the mermaids, as their only advantages were their special adaptations to the places that they lived. All species were slightly stronger and faster than humans, but neither angels nor mermaids were as fast as the vampires or as strong as the wolves. There were rumors that angels could heal faster than the others, but other than that Yuuri couldn’t think of anything that would lend itself to their superiority complex.

                “Why do they hate the other species so much?” He asked, interrupting some back and forth banter between Sara and Emil.

                “I don’t know that they hate us.” Otabek spoke slowly, weighing his words as he tried to think of how it had been explained to him. “They believe that they are closer descendants of the parent species that created all of us. So to them, they are more of a pure species and less diluted by other creatures than the rest of us.”

                “It doesn’t help that they are very conservative.” Mickey added. “The other species are not as worried about modesty and other things, because if you think about it, clothing doesn’t really make sense for some of us.”

                It was true. Only mermaids wore any sort of clothing on their upper body, and even then it was just an assortment of shells or thin strips of seaweed or fabric. But even that was just for convenience during hunting or other labor intensive work. Mermen went shirtless and of course neither had to wear anything over their tail. From what he knew of the werewolves, clothing was only worn when they were close to humans. When you shredded your clothes anytime you shifted from human to wolf, there wasn’t much point in them. The vampires were a little different, seeing as they could more easily blend into human life. However, their sexuality was a tool for them, and so while they tended to wear more clothes than the other species, it still wasn’t much.

                No, the angels definitely worried more about modesty than the others. If the angels he’d seen in the museum were any indication, and he believed they were, they all wore head to toe white. It was weird and Yuuri found himself wondering what the boy would look like in other colors.

                He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the thoughts. There was no point in thinking about the boy. He was an angel, and if everyone was to be believed, there was no way that he would even speak to Yuuri unless it was absolutely necessary.

                “Do you want to get lunch in town?” Mickey asked the group. They all agreed and they made their way back to the middle of the tiny town. There weren’t many restaurants to choose from, and Yuuri had no idea what any of the food options were. He’d only experienced merfolk food.

                “There’s a small diner that was pretty good last time I was here.” Emil pointed to a quaint looking building. It was a squat building, the outside paneled with dark wood and a green and white striped awning covering the door from snowfall. It was no more colorful than the rest of the town, but somehow it had a warm, welcoming feeling to it. They entered and wiped their feet off on the mat placed in front of the door. An older woman greeted them, leading them to a wooded table surrounded by mismatched chairs. She handed them a pile of small menus, and told them to take their time figuring out what they wanted.

                “What is a…pirozhki?” Yuuri stumbled through the foreign word, not sure how to pronounce it.

                “They’re a baked dough shell, ours are filled with beef and vegetables.” The elderly lady spoke up, clearly having heard him from across the small diner. Yuuri ordered a plate of those, while Emil and Otabek ordered bowls of borscht and both Sara and Mickey ordered bowls of shchi.

                The food came out quickly, and Yuuri’s mouth watered at the warm smell that accompanied it. A large plate was placed in front of him, the fried buns steaming invitingly. He politely waited for the others to receive their food but he was barely able to keep himself from devouring the food whole. The others received their food and Yuuri quickly shoved one of the pirozhki in his mouth.

                It burned slightly, having just been baked, but the explosion of flavor made the stinging sensation on the roof of his mouth worth it. He’d never tasted such rich flavors and he instantly stuffed another in his mouth. The others were looking at him, Emil barely containing his laughter at the prince’s stuffed cheeks. Yuuri blushed and slowed his chewing, having to take a sip of his water in order to swallow the large mouthful.

                They enjoyed their meal and the others even offered Yuuri some of their food. He sampled all of their meals, his mouth alive with the many different flavors. He wondered how humans weren’t all massive with how amazing their food tasted.

                “We should get going, it will take us until dusk to reach the meeting spot.” Otabek paid their tab and led them from the diner, all of them thanking the staff for the delicious meal. They ventured back out into the snow, Yuuri’s breath fogging the air the only sign that it was freezing cold. The town had gained some semblance of life while they ate, children ran around playing games in the snow while adults traveled into the small shopping strip to run errands.

                They left the town behind them, disappearing into the thick surrounding forest. As the sounds of the tiny town faded, Yuuri prayed that Otabek knew where he was going. Yuuri would never be able to find his way back, though he figured if he could find a way to the ocean it wouldn’t be too much of a problem. The snow was thicker out here, not pressed down by the passage of town’s people. Yuuri sank a little bit with every step and his legs were already tired.

                As they continued through the forest, Yuuri heard voices and could see a faint glow. Both strengthened as they neared and Yuuri wondered which species were already there.

                “Have you met them before?” Yuuri asked the group quietly, suddenly feeling nervous at the aspect of meeting all of the young leaders. What if they expected him to make a speech or something? He wasn’t prepared to deal with that kind of pressure.

                “We may have met them indirectly, but normally the current leaders are the ones who attend these meetings. This is the first time they will be here by themselves.” Otabek answered. They lapsed back into silence, the voices up ahead the only noise breaking through the trees.

                Yuuri’s heart pounded as they neared and he felt his chest heaving as his breath quickened. What if he messed up? What if he said something wrong? What if no one liked him at all?

                He ran his fingertips across the smooth surface of the pearl in his pocket and took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. They broke through the trees and entered a clearing with people milling about. With no bright white figures, Yuuri figured that the angels hadn’t arrived yet. He felt weirdly disappointed but he shrugged it off.

                A tall dark haired man and a short fair haired boy approached them. The blonde was at least a half foot shorter than the other, though they both looked equally intimidating. The taller man smiled brightly and took Yuuri’s hand, shaking it quickly.

                “Welcome!” There was a weird accent to his voice that Yuuri couldn’t place. “I’m Jean-Jacques Leroy, better known as JJ. I’m the alpha of the pack Versipellis.”

                Yuuri smiled at the warm greeting, some of his nerves melting away. He turned to the other boy, but in contrast to the werewolf, this one had a scowl plastered to his face. He stuck his hand straight out and Yuuri slowly reached out to shake it.

                “Yuri Plisetsky. Heir to the Lamia coven.” He immediately retracted his hand, and shoved it into the pocket of his hoodie.

                “Yuuri Katsuki. I’m the prince of the kingdom of Syreni.” Yuuri’s voice came out as a squeak, and he swallowed loudly, hoping the others didn’t notice the nerves in his voice. JJ let out a loud laugh and Yuuri’s face flushed red.

                “We’ve got two Yuris!” He nudged the vampire who didn’t look nearly as amused. A woman joined the group, her short red hair framing her pale face.

                “We could always call this one Yurio like we do back home.” She smirked at the vampire boy, throwing an arm around his shoulder. He shrugged hastily out from underneath her.

                “I don’t know why you insist on calling me that ridiculous nickname!” He yelled, making her snicker. JJ laughed again and slapped a hand down on Yurio’s shoulder, which the smaller boy glared at.

                “Yurio it is.”

                The other boy opened his mouth to protest, but whatever he was going to say was cut off as everyone turned to look at the people emerging from the forest.

                Yuuri’s breath caught in his throat.

                The angels had arrived.

********************************************************************************************************************************************************************

                Victor looked hopefully around as the exited the museum. He knew they were far behind the other group, Yakov’s constant talking had seen to that, but he had held onto the hope that maybe he would get another glimpse of the boy when they emerged. He didn’t know what it was about the boy, maybe the dark shock of hair or his deep eyes, but something had him wishing he could see him again.

                He knew it was pointless. Even if he could see the boy again, there was no way Yakov would ever let him spend unnecessary time with a human. According to Yakov, humans were below even the other species. Yakov barely deigned the other species worthy of conversation, he couldn’t imagine what he would say about Victor wanting to talk to a human for no reason.

                The group walked towards town and Lilia suggested they stop at the small grocery store and pick up some food so they could head back to the hotel.

                “Or we could actually go eat somewhere.” Chris suggested, pointing to a small diner off to the side. Victor hoped they would stop to eat, maybe he’d get to see the boy again.

                “No. We don’t need to mingle with the humans.” Yakov said curtly. Victor’s hopes sank and he mentally chided himself for getting this worked up over a boy he’d seen but once. Maybe it was just because the boy was the first non-angel they had met that was close to his age.

                That was it. That had to be it.

                They entered the small store and Victor was surprised to find that it was much like the markets back home, except there didn’t seem to be much selection. The produce section was especially sparse, and Victor figured the small town had a hard time getting fresh produce during the winter months.

                As they wandered around the store, Victor wondered how many of the young leaders from the other species would be attending. Except for the angels, each species was divided by region. The wolves had their packs, the vampires their covens and the mermaids their kingdoms. From what he had been told, at the very least the heirs from the biggest of each would be coming. If his memory served correctly, that would mean the Lamia coven, the Versipellis pack and the Syreni kingdom.

                He had learned about each in his classes. The Lamia coven was the most powerful coven of vampires and one of their past leaders was the basis of the Dracula legend. They still resided in the area around Transylvania, which in Victor’s opinion was a bit cliché but vampires were sticklers for tradition. The Versipellis pack ran in a large stretch of forest in the middle of Canada. They were easily the largest pack and unlike the rest of the species, the alphas fought for their positions, rather than being born into them. Only the strongest ruled the pack. The Syreni kingdom was the largest mermaid kingdom, located off the shore of Japan in the Pacific Ocean. The mermaids were probably the most organized species, outside of the angels of course, with each smaller kingdom reporting to Syreni twice a year. Thus the political climate of the mermaid kingdoms was much more stable than that of the wolves or the vampires, who were always having to protect their positions of power.

                The happy greeting of the hotel manager alerted Victor to the fact that they’d arrived back at their lodging. Much like that morning, the man was ignored by the other angels and Victor offered him a small wave of acknowledgement. They traipsed up the stairs to their room and when they arrived, Victor flopped backwards onto the bed. The hard mattress pressed into his back, reminding him of the never ending itching of his wings underneath his skin. Over the day he had managed to ignore it but moments like this brought it back to the forefront of his mind.

                Lilia spread out the food they had purchased on the table and they all made sandwiches. Victor was hoping he could convince Yakov to allow them to get food from one of the few restaurants later, though he knew better than to get his hopes up for such a thing.  He lay back on the bed, comfortably full, and tried to ignore the scratching of his feathers against his back.

                He drifted to sleep, dark eyes plaguing his mind.

                                                                ***

                Victor awoke to Yakov standing over him, which was enough to jolt anyone out of even the deepest slumbers. He sat straight up, his hair flinging across his eyes with the movement.

                “We are leaving soon. You need to get ready.”

                “Can’t I just wear what I’m wearing now?” He asked groggily, still partially asleep. He knew he had been having some sort of dream, though the only thing he could remember were the colors. It was all blacks, blues and greens.

                “No. Dress clothes. While our company may not reflect it, this is a very high profile meeting.” The older angel growled. Chris, who Victor had the feeling had been pretending to sleep so as not to have to talk to Yakov, sat up quickly.

                “Were meeting them in a forest and you want us to wear dress clothes? I mean I look good in dress pants but don’t you think it’s a little unpractical?”

                Yakov scowled at him and muttered “dress clothes” sternly before leaving the room, the door slamming behind him. Chris groaned audibly and began changing. Victor pulled his dress shirt and pants out of his bag and turned to Chris who was trying to squeeze himself into too tight pants.

                “I’m surprised they allowed you to keep those. They’re a bit tight for angel standards aren’t they?” Victor stared at the other angel. He’d managed to button the pants but Victor wouldn’t be at all surprised if they sprang open the minute Chris took a breath. The fabric clung to his body, extenuating anything and everything. If Yakov allowed Chris out of the room in those it would be a miracle.

                Somehow, Yakov had overlooked Chris’ situation. Either that or he had decided that he was done trying to deal with the boy. As they walked through the town, now more alive than it had been a few hours ago, Victor wondered how Chris had managed to keep such tight pants. At the end of each year, angels were expected to recycle the clothes that no longer fit. It was a ritual that ensured they didn’t wear overly tight clothing, while also providing more clothes with less work for the few clothes makers.

                Nonetheless, Chris walked confidently through the town and Lilia hadn’t looked at the angel since he had emerged from the room at the hotel. Despite all of that, Victor had to admit that Chris wasn’t lying when he said that he looked good in dress pants. They gave him shape, unlike the normal loose fitting clothes the angels wore.

                Yakov led them into the woods and away from the town, their white clothes blending almost seamlessly into the snow cover. The woods were quiet, though there was a faint hum at the edge of Victor’s hearing. The hum increased as they moved through the trees, until Victor could distinguish the noise as voices.

                They emerged from the trees into a clearing full of people. The chatter stopped almost immediately and Victor found that many pairs of eyes were now trained on the angels. He stood still, not really sure what to do. In some faces he saw open curiosity, in others a guarded wariness. He suddenly wished he was in any other color but white, anything that would keep him from standing out so obviously.

                The silence was broken by a dark haired man, probably a little older than Victor himself. He smiled easily as he approached the angels, his hands outstretched welcomingly. He grasped Victor’s hand and shook it briskly.

                “I’m Jean-Jacques Leroy. You can call me JJ.” He stopped and waited for Victor’s acknowledgement. Victor gave him a nod and he continued. “I’m the alpha of the Versipellis pack.”

                JJ pulled a pale boy from behind him and Victor noticed the obvious contrast. Any welcome feeling JJ was emitting was clearly not reinforced by this other boy. He glared at Victor and didn’t say a word.

                “This quiet one is Yurio of the Lamia coven.” JJ spoke for him.

                “MY NAME IS NOT YURIO!”

                They continued to bicker but Victor barely heard them. His eyes had caught movement behind them, a glimmer of the firelight on jet black hair. His heart jumped in his chest.

                Could it be?

                “Oh!” JJ explained, following Victor’s gaze. “I almost forgot.”

                He stepped out of the way, revealing none other than the boy from the museum. However, whether it be the firelight or just Victor’s imagination, he was even more beautiful now. Victor watched as a blush spread up the other boy’s face and Victor had to stop himself from reaching out to touch his cheek.

                “I’m Yuuri Katsuki.”   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Please let me know if you liked it, what you think and if you want me to continue.


	5. Chapter 5- Inside the Firelight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The meeting of the leaders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I first want to apologize for not updating last weekend, this chapter was not turning out how I wanted it to and I figured it would be better to wait a week than upload a chapter I wasn’t happy with. It’s also a little shorter than the rest but I needed to end it where I did so the length was inevitable. This chapter is from the POV of both Yuuri and Victor unlike the past chapters that have split POVs. Just to reiterate everyone in this fic is around 18, and only Yurio is 17.  
>  Happy reading!  
>  -Cass

“I’m Yuuri Katsuki, prince of Syreni.”

                Viktor felt his mouth pop open into a small ‘o’ of surprise. The beautiful boy from the museum was standing in front of him, the fire light making his hair look all the more darker. He watched as the boy, _Yuuri_ , appraised him and a light blush colored his cheeks. Wondering if there was ever a time the boy didn’t blush, Victor flashed him a small smile. Just as he had hoped, the blush deepened and Yuuri raised a hand to his neck.

                “Are you going to just sit there staring like an idiot or are you going to tell us who you are?” The smaller Yuri asked, sounding much angrier than Victor thought he had any reason to be.

                “I’m Victor Nikiforov, prince of the angels.” He gave a dramatic bow, winking at Yuuri as he stood up. The boy’s dark eyes widened in surprise and Victor was also surprised at himself. He wondered what it was about the boy that made him feel so flirtatious, especially with both Yakov and Lilia standing behind him.

                “Well Victor,” JJ said cheerfully, a stark contradiction to the small blonde boy behind him. “Welcome. There’s food to roast in the fire, feel free to mingle and get to know everyone.”

                A lithe figure approached the group, hands encircling JJ’s arm.

                “Are you not going to introduce me?” A pretty brunette spoke up coyly, her eyes appraising each of the new comers. JJ laughed and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her up to his side.

                “This is my beautiful alpha female Isabella.” The girl at his side gave a small wave. JJ nodded to the others and walked with her towards the fire and she said something to him that made him throw his head back in laughter.

                Victor turned to see if he could talk to Yuuri, but the boy had already turned away. He watched as the mermaid joined a group of people around his age and sighed. He had been hoping, from the way Yuuri had looked at him, that he would at least try to talk to him.

                “I’m going to try to get to know people.” Victor said and Yakov looked like he was about to protest. Victor quickly walked away before the older angel could say anything. He heard Chris make a similar excuse before leaving Yakov and Lilia lurking in the shadows, and Victor knew their faces were downturned with disapproval.  

                He made small talk with people including an overdramatic vampire named Georgi and a stoic mermaid named Otabek, all the while moving slightly closer to Yuuri. The boy was talking to a small boy, who Victor assumed was a vampire based on the two small fangs peeking out from under his top lip. The small vampire was talking animatedly, his eyes wide as he stared at Yuuri. Victor approached them, running his hands through his hair in a mixture of nerves and excitement.

                “You’ve never seen a movie?” The other boy asked loudly. Yuuri shook his head, looking a little embarrassed as a few people turned to see why the boy was yelling.

                “I haven’t either.” Victor injected himself into the conversation. “We don’t have anything like that back home.” He caught Yuuri’s eye as the mermaid glanced over at him and the boy gave him a small smile as though he was glad to find he wasn’t the only one lacking experience.

                “Movies are my favorite! I like the Disney ones, they’re about fairy tales.” Victor tried to pay attention to the younger boy, who at one point introduced himself as Minami, but he found himself continuously being distracted by Yuuri. The prince looked overwhelmed with the fast talking vampire, though to his credit he tried to respond whenever Minami would finally take a breath. His hand wandered to the back of his neck and Victor wondered if that was a nervous twitch.

                “Seung-gil!” Minami yelled mid-sentence. Yuuri and Victor turned to see a dark haired boy standing off to the side. “That’s my werewolf friend!”

                Seung-gil did not look like he shared the sentiment as Minami bounced over to him, already chattering about something. Yuuri smiled slightly and Victor marveled at the way it completely changed his face.

                “Is this your first time on land?” Victor asked, hoping to bring Yuuri’s attention back to himself. Yuuri turned back towards him, using one hand to adjust the glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose. Victor wondered what they were for, as non-humans usually didn’t need any corrective tools like that. He liked them though, they framed Yuuri’s dark eyes nicely.

                “Yes.” Yuuri responded. “My parents don’t like me getting to far from our kingdom.” He blushed a bit, as though he was worried that Victor would find it lame that his parents worried about him. On the contrary, Victor found it quite endearing that Yuuri’s parents cared so much about him.

                “It’s only my second time. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it though, all of the colors are beautiful.”

                “Yeah the angels are all very plain right?” Yuuri’s eyes widened as he realized what he had said. “I mean…what I meant to say was…you wear a lot of white, not that you were plain because you’re not plain you’re…” Yuuri clamped his mouth shut and turned a brighter shade of red than he had previously achieved. Victor stared at him for a second, watching as the blush colored his cheeks, and then burst out laughing. Yuuri’s hands waved in front of him as he tried to explain himself but Victor couldn’t stop giggling.

                “I guess you could say that.” Victor responded when he had finally caught his breath back. “Most of us look very similar, and our clothes have very little differentiation. I’ve never worn anything other than white, though as you can see that’s not always practical.” He gestured to where his clothes had become smudged with dirt on the way to the meeting.

                “I had never worn clothes before a few days ago.” Yuuri said. It was nonchalant, nothing more than a stated fact, but it had Victor’s heart racing. He had stared at Chris shirtless and he didn’t even like him like that.

                Wait. Was that what this was? Did he, the future king, have a crush?

                It was a weird feeling to realize, especially since Victor couldn’t remember having feelings for anyone since he was in primary school. Nobody back home caught his attention, they were all the same. But in a matter of hours, this boy had done just that. This boy with his dark eyes, soft looking hair and…

                Victor shook himself, realizing that Yuuri was looking at him expectantly.

                “Why do you wear glasses?” He blurted out. It had been the first thing, the only thing, that had popped into his head. Yuuri touched the glasses on his face, as though he had forgotten they were there.

                “They’re supposed to help my eyes adjust to such strong sunlight. Underwater we don’t really have this much sun.” He gestured towards the sky and then seemed to realize it was night time. “Well, I guess I don’t really need them right now.” He laughed and slid them off of his face, tucking them into his pocket. Victor gave him a small smile, wondering how someone could look equally good with and without glasses.

                “Um,” Yuuri mumbled, a slight blush rising in his cheeks as he touched the back of his neck. He looked embarrassed and Victor wondered if it was because he was staring again. “Do you….do you know what that is?” He pointed towards the fire and Victor felt a slight twinge of relief that Yuuri wasn’t creeped out by his stare.

                “The fire?”

                “Um, yes I guess.”

                “It’s a fire. It’s very hot.” Victor giggled, wondering how else to describe it. Yuuri watched as people held things over the fire, and Victor touched his arm softly. The boy let out a small gasp, as tingles ran up and down his skin. The skin where Victor had touched him was amazingly warm. Victor had retracted his hand and was staring at his fingers, as though he too was shocked.

                “Do…Do you want to roast some marshmallows?” Victor stuttered, trying to play it cool. He ran his hand through his hair, still feeling the warmth of Yuuri’s skin on his fingertips.

                “What’s a marshmallow?”

                “You’ll see.” He reached over and grasped Yuuri’s arm in his, watching with smugness as the boy’s face turned red. He’d only known him for a few hours, but he didn’t think he’d ever get tired of seeing the color in his face. He pulled the mermaid over to the fire and grabbed a couple sticks from the small table that was set up nearby. Victor speared a marshmallow on each and handed Yuuri a stick. Yuuri looked at the fire and then back at Victor, opening his mouth to say something. Before he could speak Victor reached over and grasped the hand holding the stick. Yuuri turned redder than ever but Victor ignored it and maneuvered the prince’s hand to hold the stick over the fire. The way they were standing, Yuuri’s back was flush with Victor’s front and Victor had the strangest urge to bury his face in the other boy’s hair. He fought it, knowing that was wildly inappropriate. Victor pulled the stick back and took it from Yuuri, carefully sliding the toasted marshmallow off. Yuuri turned to him, his mouth open slightly. Victor popped the marshmallow into his mouth and watched as his eyes widened.

                “This is amazing.” Yuuri mumbled through a mouth of sugar. Victor laughed, his eyes lighting up with amusement, and roasted his own marshmallow. Yuuri watched him, the light from the fire making his silvery hair shine. Yuuri, who never really cared about appearances, suddenly understood what beauty was and it was hard to keep his jaw from dropping. Victor turned back to him and caught his stare, a small smirk twisting his lips.

                “Amazing.” He whispered. Victor raised his eyebrows and Yuuri scrambled to cover his slip of words. “Uh I mean…the marshmallow is amazing.”

                “You said that already.” Victor narrowed his eyes playfully and Yuuri hurriedly stuffed another marshmallow into his mouth. A bit of the food smudged over his lip and, without thinking, Victor reached over and wiped it off with his thumb. He licked the sweetness off and Yuuri’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. Victor realized what he had done and embarrassedly cleared his throat, turning to skewer another marshmallow.

                He wasn’t sure why he was acting like this, he wasn’t normally this forward. It was out of character, but something about the other boy just made him feel alive. Yuuri carefully stuck his marshmallow into the fire, turning to smile at Victor when he pulled out a perfectly toasted treat. They toasted an entire plate of marshmallows and took them to a pair of chairs underneath a nearby tree. They sat, talking about where each of them came from, their interests and their lives. They were so different but Victor found it incredibly easy to open up to the mermaid. He was also fascinated by Yuuri’s life under the water and its vast contrast to Victor’s own home. Yuuri’s face was animated as he described the colorful coral and fish, the shining palace and the decorated merfolk homes. Victor was so engrossed in Yuuri’s description that he didn’t hear Yakov approach from behind, and he jumped as his hand clamped down on his shoulder.

                “We’re leaving.” He said. Victor turned to ask if they could stay longer but the older angel glared down at him. He sighed and got up, giving Yuuri a small, sad smile. Yakov turned and went to find the others. Victor reached down and gripped Yuuri’s hand, bringing it to his lips and planting a quick kiss to his knuckles. Yuuri gasped, his mouth dropping open in shock. He felt Victor slip a something into his hand and then the angel was gone. Yuuri sat alone in the chair, his mouth still open in shock.

                He glanced down at the thing Victor had placed into his palm. It was a small slip of paper and Yuuri mildly wondered where he had gotten it from. He unfolded it and felt his lips turn upwards in a small smile as he read the words hastily scrawled across it.

                _Meet me tomorrow at the museum at noon._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! Please review and let me know what you think!


	6. Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri has a decision to make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Just a warning there may or may not be an update next week. I have an internship and then I leave for spring break so it will depend on what time I have to write. I'm so thankful for everyone who has read and reviewed this fic and I hope ya'll continue to enjoy it!  
> Happy reading!  
> -Cass

Yuuri stared at the note in his hand, the writing scrawled in haste. It felt warm in his palm, as though some of Victor was still stored in it. He wondered if it was some sort of joke. There was no way some insanely beautiful angel had even talked to Yuuri, much less wanted to rendezvous at some secret place.

                That was it. It had to be a joke.                         

                The paper was snatched out of his hands and he grasped at the air to try to retrieve it. Emil stood above him, his mouth in a wide, amused grin.

                “Yuuri’s got himself a crush doesn’t he?” He laughed loudly and Yuuri felt his cheeks flush. Sara smacked him in the arm and pulled the paper from his hands, reading it quickly before slipping it back into Yuuri’s waiting hand.

                “So are you gonna go?” She asked, glaring at Emil as he continued laughing. Yuuri shrugged, crumpling up the paper and stuffing it into his pocket. He smoothed the note back out in his pocket, hoping the other mermaids didn’t notice.

                “You should go.” Sara said. Yuuri looked up at her to see if she was kidding, but she looked kindly back at him.

                “Are you sure about that. He’s an angel after all.” Mickey spoke up. Emil had stopped laughing and they were all quiet for a second, looking at Yuuri.

                “I don’t know.” He finally said. “I don’t know why he would even be interested in me.”

                “You’re extremely attractive.” Sara answered. Mickey scoffed at her while Emil nodded in agreement. “You’re actually pretty easy to get along with and you’re a prince to boot. What’s not to like?”

                Yuuri placed his fingers on his neck, feeling the ragged ridge of skin where his gills were hiding. He still didn’t understand it, but maybe Sara was right. Maybe he should just give it a chance. Maybe this wasn’t some huge cosmic joke and maybe there was some reason that a beautiful angel was paying attention to him.

                Maybe he should go.

                “I don’t know. I need to think about it.” He sighed. He had to think about all of it. Did he like this boy? Yes. Did he want to like him? He wasn’t sure. There could be a lot of complications with liking an angel. Probably most notably the fact that they think they’re better than any other species and there’s no way they would ever accept a relationship between an angel and a mermaid. Not to mention the distance between Syreni and the sky kingdom. All a possible problem was the fact that Yuuri couldn’t fly and Victor more than likely couldn’t breath underwater…

                Woah. He needed to slow down. He’d talked to this angel for all of an hour and suddenly he was worried about the logistics of their non-existent relationship. He needed to get his mind off of the angel boy for a while. He wasn’t here to flirt, he was here to make connections with the other leaders.

                That was obviously something the angels weren’t too worried about since they had already taken their leave. The other species were still out in full. He could see Otabek talking to the small vampire leader boy, Yurio or whatever nickname they had suggested. Minami, the other small vampire, was talking animatedly to JJ and his fiancé. He wandered over towards Otabek, preferring the silent stare of Yurio over the talkative energy of Minami.

                Yurio gave him a cold look but continued his quiet conversation with Otabek, pretending Yuuri wasn’t there. Otabek was telling the vampire about one time he had been on land and had gotten to ride on this human contraption called a motorcycle. Yuuri listened attentively, he’d always wanted to try one of the human’s moving inventions. He’d read about them in many of his books.

                “I have never ridden a motorcycle, you’ll have to show me sometime.” Yurio commented nonchalantly. Otabek nodded and asked some questions about the vampires. Yuuri tried to pay attention, but he found his thoughts drifting again and again to the slip of paper nestled in his pocket. He wondered what would happen if he went to the museum tomorrow, what they would talk about.

                “Would you go on a date with an angel?” He hadn’t meant to say anything. He had been talking to himself, debating the pros and cons of meeting up with Victor tomorrow. Yurio glared at him and Otabek didn’t say anything.

                “Why would I ever go on a date with an angel you idiot?” Yurio spat out. Yuuri shrugged and scratched his neck, wishing he could have just kept his mouth shut. Yurio rolled his eyes and continued his conversation with Otabek as though Yuuri had never spoken. Yuuri wandered away, finding himself drawn to where Sara was talking to Mila, the other vampire. They were laughing and he hoped that she was a nice median between energetic Minami and angry Yurio.

                He listened to the two girls talk for a while, not really feeling like chiming into their conversation. Sara was watching him out of the corner of her eye and she smirked slightly.

                “So Yuuri, have you decided if you’re going to go on a date with the angel prince?” Sara asked, giggling as Mila’s mouth popped open in surprise.

                “You got asked out by an angel?” She questioned loudly.

                “N-no…not really…maybe?” Yuuri’s face flushed red again and he vaguely wondered again if he had ever blushed this much in his entire life. He looked down as Mila reached over to pat him hardily on the back.

                “Damn. You must have some flirting skills to land yourself an angel.” She sounded impressed and Yuuri wondered if he should tell her that he had done absolutely nothing that could be considered “flirting skills”.

                “Except he doesn’t know if he should go or not.” Sara said conspiratorially to Mila. Mila raised an eyebrow.

                “I don’t want to tell you what to do, but I definitely wouldn’t pass up a chance at an angel.” Mila wiggled her eyebrows at Yuuri and Sara laughed.

                “Its…I don’t think…it’s not like that.” Yuuri stammered. Maybe he should have stayed with Otabek and Yurio. Being ignored was a bit better than being interrogated.

                “So…uh…how’s life as a vampire?” Yuuri asked, trying to steer the conversation away from his possible date with Victor. Mila laughed but allowed the sidetrack, describing what life was like in the coven. It was interesting, she had even gotten to go to human school. Yuuri was full of questions about that and Mila was more than willing to answer them all. They talked for a while, Yuuri and Sara going back and forth asking questions, with Mila injecting questions about their own lives every once in a while. At some point JJ and his fiancé meandered over and joined the conversation, offering up comparisons to pack life. Yuuri found it a welcome distraction from his inner conflict on whether or not to go to the museum the next day.

                “It’s getting very late. We should get the pack back to the hotel.” Isabella poked JJ’s arm lovingly. JJ nodded and called the pack to him.

                “We should all get together before you leave.” He told Yuuri before they bid the group goodbye and melted into the trees. The mermaids talked to the vampires for a while before they decided as a group to make their way back to the hotel. Yuuri wasn’t surprised that they were all staying in the same place, the town was tiny after all, but he was surprised that they were all staying in the same place and had managed not to run into each other before now. Mila told him it was because both the vampires and the wolves were more active at night, when it was easier for them to be in a more natural state without attracting too much human attention.

                “We don’t harm the humans we drink from, and most covens have a group of humans that live with them. Completely consensual.” She added when she noticed Yuuri’s look of concern. “They’re part of our coven. Part of our family essentially. But while we don’t burn in sunlight or anything like that, the sun does hurt our eyes and we can get sick if we spend too much time outside. It’s easier for us just to move about mainly at night.”

                The group said their goodbyes at the hotel, a few making plans to meet up the next day. They separated into their rooms and Yuuri was thankful for some quiet time. Otabek went into the bathroom to shower, apparently something humans had to do a lot, and Yuuri pulled the piece of paper out of his pocket. He reread it again, as if it might have changed since the last time he had read it, but it said the exact same thing. He looked at the letters, the crest and fall of each, and knew that the moment he had read it the first time he had made up his mind.

                He was going to the museum.

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************

                Victor stared at his fingers in the lingering firelight as they moved away from the gathering.

                Had he really just done that? Had he really slipped a note to a mermaid to meet up with him alone?

                What would his father say?

                The thought of his father should have scared him, it should have sent him running back into the clearing and snatching the message from the boy’s hand. Instead it solidified him. It wasn’t so much that he wanted to do it just to rebel against his father, but more that it made him want to do it for himself. He wanted to do something that didn’t have to do with duty or honor. Something that his father wouldn’t do. Something that was purely based on feelings.

                He hoped the mermaid prince would show up. He felt a twinge of worry at the thought of standing alone at the museum. Victor shook his head, he couldn’t think about that. He had made the first move and if Yuuri didn’t want him then that was his loss.

                But he really hoped he would show up.

                The angels were quiet as they walked back towards the hotel and Victor wondered what the response would be if he told them about his date tomorrow. He had a feeling Chris wouldn’t be against the idea, he seemed to be for anything that went against angel morals. Yakov and Lilia on the other hand would probably have quite a bit to say against the idea. They’d probably insist that they left for home at that very moment, where Lilia was sure to tell his father all about what his delinquent son had tried to do.

                So Victor kept his date to himself and used the walk back to think about what he could say to Yuuri the next day. They had both already been through the museum so he wanted to take Yuuri somewhere else. Maybe they could go somewhere and talk.

                They entered the hotel and Yakov made his now customary ignoring of the manager obvious. They went into their rooms and as soon as the door closed, Chris turned to smile at him.

                “What?”

                “I saw you slip that Yuuri boy something.” He grinned mischievously and clapped a hand on Victor’s shoulder.

                “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Victor pretended to go through his pack, pulling out sleeping clothes.

                “Sure you don’t.” Chris laughed. “I hope you have a good time on your date tomorrow.” He held his hand up when Victor opened his mouth to speak. “Don’t worry. I’ll cover for you.”

                Victor nodded silently and continued readying for bed. His mind was racing with thoughts. He knew he could get into a lot of trouble for this, but somehow that made him want it even more. He wanted to know more about the dark haired boy. He wanted to know what made him happy, what he did for fun underwater. Maybe they could go to a beach and Yuuri could show him his tail. Was that appropriate to ask a mermaid you had just met?

                He tried to shut his brain off, he needed his beauty sleep after all since he had a very handsome merman to impress. He drifted to sleep and the last thing he saw was the dark, sparkling eyes of Yuuri Katsuki.  

 


	7. Up in the Air

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Its a date!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I hope everyone had a good spring break (if you got one)! I’m in complete awe as to how much response this fic has gotten and I thank everyone for taking the time to read and review. I’m thinking of starting a Voltron fic that would be updated sometime during the week so it wouldn’t conflict with this fic.   
> Happy reading!  
> -Cass

Snow drifted down, dusting Victor’s silver hair. Everything around him was silent, the thick white powder dampening any sound coming from town. The museum sat behind him, silently watching as he waited in the cold air. He glanced down at his watch and wondered if he was a fool for even hoping.  The face read 12:02 and though it was barely past their meeting time, he could feel his heart pounding painfully at the idea of getting stood up. Maybe the mermaid prince already had someone, maybe he wasn’t interested in boys.

                Or maybe he wasn’t interested in dating an angel.

                He could take the other options, though he had really been hoping to get to know the boy better, but the idea that he was rejected because of what he was, well that just _hurt_. Though if he was being honest, he couldn’t really be surprised if the other species wanted nothing to do with the angels. The angels didn’t exactly make a habit of treating the rest of the species with kindness. But Yuuri had to know that he was different, that he doesn’t see things the way the other angels do.

                The crunch of footsteps falling quickly across the snow brought him out of his thoughts. A dark figure slid to a stop in front of him, showering him with snow. The person landed with a thump on the ground and Victor looked down in surprise.

                Yuuri laid on the ice below him, his limbs sprawled out in what was a desperate attempt to stop his fall. His cheeks were flushed red though Victor didn’t know if that was embarrassment or exertion. Snowflakes dotted his dark hair and a few sparked on his lashes, causing his eyes to sparkle as he looked up at the angel.

                And that was exactly what he looked like to Yuuri. The wet snow was soaking through the back of his shirt, but he couldn’t find the motivation to move. He gazed up at the ethereal specter before him, the snow paling in comparison to the silvery hair that fell in front of Victor’s face. The angel was beaming down at him, his face glowing with happiness. Yuuri found himself smiling back up at him, wondering how someone he barely knew could make him feel so warm inside. Victor reached down and extended a hand to him. Yuuri grasped it tightly and the prince pulled him to his feet. Their hands lingered together once Yuuri was upright and Yuuri wondered if Victor wanted to keep their fingers intertwined as much as he did. It was absurd. They barely knew each other, there was no reason Yuuri should be feeling like this. He needed to reclaim his hand and start thinking straight.

                Victor marveled as he looked at their hands and watched as Yuuri slowly untangled his fingers. He wanted to keep the touch, to remain connected to this boy, but somehow he knew that he needed to let Yuuri have his space. He grinned unabashedly as Yuuri glanced at him and Yuuri responded with a small smile.

                “Are we going to the museum?” Yuuri asked. His was a little higher pitched than normal. Victor felt a small spark of pride at the idea that he had managed to fluster him.

                “We can if you want. I figured we could do something else since we’ve both seen it already.” Victor gave a chuckle. “Not that it was really all that much to see.”

                “We should go sightseeing!” Yuuri said excitedly. Victor really wasn’t sure what there was to sigh see in this tiny town but if he was being honest it didn’t really matter. He’d go stare at snow melting if it meant getting to spend more time with the mermaid.

                “There is supposed to be really cool views around this place.” The mermaid’s eyes lit up as he listed off the different places he had been told to check out. Apparently he’d made friends with many of the wolves and vampires last night after Victor left.

                “Then let’s see them.” Victor smiled.

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************

                They’d been traipsing through the woods for a while and Victor silently wondered if Yuuri had any idea where he was going. It certainly didn’t seem like he did, but Victor didn’t want to embarrass the boy by asking.  Yuuri kept looking up to the sky as if that would show him the way.

                Yuuri couldn’t believe he’d gotten them lost. JJ’s instructions on how to get to the cliff had been pretty clear, or at least they had seemed that way. Everything in the forest looked exactly the same and Yuuri knew that if he could just see over the trees he could figure out which way they were supposed to go. He stopped suddenly, Victor bumping into his back. He was so dumb.

                He was out in the woods with the one of the few people who could actually do that.

                He turned, looking at his companion. The angel looked concerned, and Yuuri knew that Victor knew that he had no idea where he was going. He was probably making such a great impression. Victor looked at him, probably waiting for him to admit how hopelessly lost he was.

                “Do you…could you…” Yuuri swallowed down his embarrassment. “Do you think you could fly up and look for the place? It’s like this rocky cliff overlooking the ocean. I think it’s that way.” He pointed in the direction they had been walking. He wasn’t completely sure that was the right direction but that was the closest guess he had.

                “I can.” Victor responded. There was a glint of mischief in his eyes and Yuuri vaguely wondered what he had gotten himself into. “But I don’t really know what I’m looking for so you should probably come up with me.” Yuuri laughed and gestured to himself.

                “I don’t know if you noticed but I don’t have any wings.” His giggled died in his throat when he caught sight of Victor’s serious look. The angel feigned nonchalance and shrugged.

                “I guess you’ll just have to hold onto me tightly.”

                Yuuri felt his mouth drop open in surprise. Surely he had misheard the angel. Victor reached a hand out and the merman felt his pulse quicken. He stared at the hand, hanging there in the space between them.

                He took a deep breath and grasped the hand firmly.

                Victor pulled him against his chest and wrapped his arms around him. All of the air rushed out of Yuuri as he gasped at the contact. He could feel Victor’s warm chest under his own, could feel the beat of his heart under his skin. He looked up into Victor’s face and watched as the angel bit his lip. Victor closed his eyes and Yuuri heard a weird noise from behind the prince. A breeze rustled their hair and Yuuri saw two giant wings rise up behind Victor’s head. They were beautiful and shining white. The sun reflected off of the feathers and Yuuri realized where the idea of angels wearing halos came from.

                “Are you ready?” Victor’s voice was low and it sent a pang through Yuuri. He nodded, unable to form a coherent sentence. Victor’s wings straightened out behind him and gave a massive push, their feet leaving the ground. Yuuri’s hands flung around Victor and clutched tightly to the angel. He gripped the other boy’s shirt in his fingers and squeezed his shut as he felt the pair rise into the air.

                “Look.”

                Yuuri slowly pried his eyes open and stared in wonder at the scene that spread out before him. Victor had shifter him so that he could see over his shoulder, and the forest looked beautiful beneath him. He could see the town behind them, smaller than ever, and the ocean to their right, the exact opposite way than he had been leading them.

                “Victor!” He exclaimed at the beauty. He pulled back slightly to look at the angel. He was going to say something, but the look on Victor’s face silenced him.

                He looked euphoric, as though being in the air breathed a new life into him. The air was whipping through his silver hair and his large wings were effortlessly beating the air. Victor was looking at him, his eyes glowing with happiness and something else Yuuri wasn’t sure he recognized. They hung there, somewhere between the land and the sky, and gazed at each other. There was something different up there, something melted away between them. It was if here, away from the politics and drama of the species, it was just them. Not angels and mermaids. Just them.

                Victor cleared his throat and asked Yuuri if he had spotted their destination. Yuuri nodded silently, his eyes taking in every feature of the angelic boy before him. Victor tucked his wings slightly and they began to descend through the air. The mermaid wished they could hang there in the air forever. He didn’t want to return to the ground because that would mean all of the drama of angels versus other species would return.

                Their feet touched the ground and Yuuri held onto Victor for a few seconds longer than necessary. He wanted to preserve that feeling of flying in his memory forever.

                “Lead the way.” Victor’s voice was quiet, as though he too was trying to freeze the moment in his mind. Yuuri blushed and turned around, beginning to walk in the opposite direction.

                “Were you going the wrong way?” Victor let out a laugh. Yuuri giggled.

                “Maybe.”

**************************************************************************************************************************************************************

                They sat on the cliff, their legs dangling off the edge and their eyes dancing over the horizon. The sun was still hanging in the sky and its light glinted off of the waves that crashed towards the shore. Yuuri loved getting to see this side of the ocean and Victor loved getting to see this side of Yuuri. The boy who flushed whenever he did anything remotely embarrassing was completely calm and collected as he stared out at the water. Victor’s eyes traced the planes of the prince’s face, watching as the breeze rolling off of the water rustled his dark hair. He was a different person here, but Victor liked both people he’d met.

                Yuuri turned towards him, his dark eyes twinkling, and Victor wanted nothing more than to lean forward. He wanted to close the distance between them and find out if his lips were as soft as they looked. Yuuri’s eyes searched his and his lips parted in a small breath. Victor felt himself leaning towards the mermaid, unconsciously gravitating towards him. His breath caught in his chest and he wondered if Yuuri’s heart was beating as hard as his own. Yuuri’s eyes widened but he did nothing to move himself away. Their lips were inches apart and it would take only a slight movement to bring them together.

                Something burst out of the forest behind them and they both whipped around. Three large wolves were running towards them, their tongues lolling out of their mouths. Yuuri laughed loudly and it took Victor a few seconds to realize that they must be the werewolves. The wolves got smaller as they approached, their fur receding into their bodies. When they reached the two boys, they each stood as a human, the last patches of fur disappearing. They were each clad in a skin tight body suit, though that didn’t do much to keep them modest. JJ, Isabella and Seung Gil stood before them, panting from their run.

                “We were on a run and we smelled you.” JJ said. “We thought we’d stop by.” Yuuri laughed and Victor cursed silently. If they had only been a few seconds later…

                They talked for a little bit, Victor pretending he wasn’t sorely disappointed by their arrival. A faint flush had colored Yuuri’s cheeks from the moment they had appeared and Victor knew that Yuuri realized what had been inches from happening. JJ was nice enough, if a bit arrogant, but his fiancé really put him in his place. Anytime he would begin to boast she delivered a sharp quip that did it’s best to keep him humble. Seung Gil was quiet but Victor figured that was more his personality and not because he truly didn’t want to speak.

                Yuuri seemed to enjoy the conversation, asking questions he apparently had not thought of the night before. Victor made comparisons to his own life everyone in a while, remaining in the conversation, but also he watched Yuuri. The way he talked, the way he gave whoever was talking his full attention, the way his eyes lit up whenever he received a new piece of information, it was all so interesting to Victor.

                The sun began to dip behind the clouds and Isabella suggested returning to the town for dinner. Victor didn’t want to, he wanted to stay perched on this cliff with Yuuri for as long as possible, but he knew if he didn’t return soon Yakov would have a lot of questions for him. It had been nearly impossible to convince the older angel to allow Victor to spend some time alone, but claiming he wanted to spend a quiet day taking everything in had seemed to placate him.

                They followed the wolves into the woods, the trees blotting out the sky and allowing very little of the remaining light to filter down. Yuuri walked close to Victor, their hands almost touching. Victor wanted to reach out and grasp the merman’s hand, but he knew that Yuuri would need some time to recover after that near kiss on the cliff.

                The mermaid cursed quietly as his foot caught on something, tripping him slightly. His hand shot out and gripped Victor’s, using it to steady himself. To Victor’s surprise he didn’t let go. Victor, of course, wasn’t one to complain and he could feel his face stretching into a grin at the feeling of Yuuri’s hand in his. He looked over at the prince and saw a small, mischievous grin decorating his own face.

                Yuuri Katsuki was just full of surprises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I’d like to make a note about a few things: When I used mermaid in regards to Yuuri it just means the species overall, but when I used merman it means his specific gender of mermaid. Also I hope you caught a couple of parallels between this chapter and the show, most notably the iconic “TAKE ME SIGHT SEEING” from the English dub and the “He never fails to surprise me” quote. I hope you liked the chapter and please review and let me know what you think!!!   
> PS: You can find me on tumblr at millionharry.tumblr.com if you want to stop by and chat about the fic, YOI or anything else! I love getting to talk to people!


	8. Hotel Rooms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sara forces Yuuri to face his fears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you continue to enjoy this fic because I enjoy writing it.  
> Happy reading!  
> -Cass

Yuuri quietly made his way into his hotel room, hoping that none of the others would hear him arriving. His roommate, Otabek, would more than likely not be interested in his activities. Sara on the other hand…

He turned the handle slowly and slipped into the room. As he turned he realized that the light was on and Otabek wasn’t the only person in the room. A small blonde figure was sprawled in the complimentary desk chair, his blue eyes regarding Yuuri in annoyance. It took him a second to recognize the vampire leader who looked way to casual with his limbs hanging over the arms of the chair. He was glaring at Yuuri as though the mermaid prince had walked into _his_ room, rather than Yuuri returning to his own room.

“Hello Yurio!” He said cheerfully, wondering if the vampire just naturally looked like he wanted to kill everyone. The younger boy scoffed and pushed himself out of the chair.

“We should hangout again Otabek.” He nodded goodbye to the mermaid and turned to leave the room. He stopped as he passed Yuuri, drawing a deep breath in through his nose. He turned slowly, his face contorted in disgust. “You’ve got angel stench all over you.”

Yuuri’s face immediately turned red and he fumbled with words, trying to explain. “We…w…we were just hanging…out…we…we didn’t…um.” He waved his hands in front of him in embarrassment.

Yurio rolled his eyes and muttered something about how he’d never be caught dead with an angel under his breath. He marched past Yuuri and slammed the door behind him. Yuuri turned to Otabek who was sitting silently on his bed. The prince opened his mouth to try to explain, to tell him that he only smelled like angel because Victor had lifted him into the air to find the cliff.

The door burst open. Sara gripped the door handle and a huge grin adorned her face. Emil and Mickey were behind her, pushing her into the room without invitation, though Yuuri had a feeling it wouldn’t have mattered even if he had told them not to come in. Sara jumped onto his bed, making the springs clang in protest. She tucked her legs underneath her and looked up at Yuuri expectantly.

“Tell me about your date.” It wasn’t a request. Yuuri blushed again and sat on the now vacant desk chair. He told the group about his date, editing the parts about Victor flying him into the air and nearly kissing him so they didn’t seem as big of a deal as he felt they were. Of course, he’d never really had a date before so they probably weren’t that big of a deal anyway. He was sure Victor had had lots of dates. Had he only dated beautiful angels? If so why would he go out with Yuuri? What if-

Yuuri’s mild panic was interrupted by Emil who was asking when they were going to go out again. Yuuri shrugged, remarking that he figured Victor would let him know if he wanted to go out again. He probably didn’t.

“You’re not going to just sit around and wait for him to make another move.” Sara scolded.

“I’m not?”

“No. You’re going to ask the angel prince out on a date.” She smiled smugly and jumped off the bed, moving to root through the hotel desk. Yuuri watched as she found what she was searching for, a small pad of paper and a pen that looked like it hadn’t been used in years. She grabbed Yuuri’s chair and pushed it in front of the desk, jamming the pen into his hand.

“I don’t know how to ask someone out!” He protested, setting the pen down. Sara picked it back up and replaced it into his hand.

“Just something simple, like his note to you.” She ruffled his hair. “Tell him you had a good time today.”

It took a few tries but the pen finally relented some ink onto the paper. It was scratchy and faint, causing Yuuri to have to retrace his letters multiple times. He hoped Victor wasn’t turned off by terrible handwriting. He scratched out a quick message, asking Victor to meet him at the museum again though he hadn’t the slightest idea of what they could do. He could feel Sara’s breath on his neck as she read over his shoulder and gave a nod of approval.

“Now go take it to him.”

Yuuri turned to look at her, his eyes wide with panic. Writing out a message asking the angel prince out, that he could do. But to hand it to him, face him while he read the note, that was something he could most certainly not do. What if he rejected him? What if he laughed in his face? Or worse, what if he made excuses as to why he couldn’t go in that voice people use when they pity someone? Sara was staring at him and Yuuri had the feeling she knew exactly what he was thinking.

“Yuuri from what you told us, this boy basically wanted to make out with you. There’s no way he’s going to turn down another date.” She grabbed his hand and hauled him out of the seat. She pushed him towards the door, Emil opening it and bowing jokingly. Yuuri felt himself pushed into the hall and turned back to see Sara grinning in the doorway.

“Don’t come back until you’ve given that to him.” She waved and closed the door. Yuuri stared at the closed door, wondering how long he’d have to wait for her and the others to go back to their rooms. He sighed, knowing Sara would wait all night if she had to.

He trudged to the stairs, cursing himself for ever opening his mouth to that girl. He didn’t even know what floor Victor was on, much less his room number. He silently walked down the stairs, the note burning in his pocket. He wanted to spend more time with Victor, wanted it a lot, but what if the angel didn’t feel the same way? What if he realized that Yuuri couldn’t compare to the beautiful angels back home?

Yuuri approached the front desk and smiled slightly at the man who seemed to never leave. It took some coaxing but the clerk finally revealed what room Victor was in. Yuuri took a deep breath and headed back up the stairs.

One thing he would not miss when he went back to the water would be all the walking humans had to do.

He stood in front of Victor’s door, listening to the muffled voices behind it. He couldn’t bring himself to knock on it. He spread his fingers out on the door, feeling the rough wood on his skin. The angel prince, a ridiculously attractive and charming man, was right on the other side of it. The fact made the door seem extremely mundane and plain, which made Yuuri feel even more so. How could he ever measure up to an angel?

Everything he’d never known about angels was how beautiful they were. How they kept themselves separate from the other species in their lofty kingdom. He knew most thought they were arrogant and supremacist, but after Yuuri had seen the large white wings unfurl behind Victor’s head, he couldn’t help but understand the feeling that angels’ were better than everyone else. Maybe they weren’t better people but they were nothing short of breathtaking.

He bit his lip and thought of Sara, waiting for him in his room. She’d know if he returned without giving Victor the note. Even if he hid the note itself, she would know. No doubt at that point she would personally drag Yuuri up here and throw him into Victor’s room herself. Yuuri sucked in a deep breath and raised his arm, his fingers clenched into a tight fist. His arm swung down but he stopped himself just before it could land on the wood.

He couldn’t do it.

There were too many negative outcomes, too many ways this could go terribly wrong. But underneath that worry and fear, there was something warm and flickering with light. What if Victor did like him?

He bent down, folding the paper in half. He pressed it to his lips, feeling ridiculous but also feeling it was nothing if not poetic. He slid the paper beneath the door and he could hear the voices inside stop talking. Yuuri pushed himself to his feet and took off down the hall. He could feel his clumsy human feet tripping on the fraying carpet and he just prayed he could stay upright long enough to get out of the hallway. He rounded the corner and slammed into the door to the stairwell.

Yuuri made his way back to his room and, much like he had anticipated, Sara and the others were still waiting inside.

“So did you give it to him?” She asked excitedly, gripping him by the shoulders. “By the red in your face I’m guessing so!” Yuuri didn’t bother to inform her that his face was red because it had just been smashed into a door.

“Uh…sort of. I slid it under his door.” Oh no, Yuuri thought. What if that wasn’t his door. What if that was the room of the big angry man? Or even worse, what if that was the room of the scary bird like lady?

“Well, better than nothing.” Sara said cheerfully. “You better get your beauty sleep!” She laughed and grabbed Emil who had dozed off on Yuuri’s bed. Mickey helped herd the half asleep mermaid towards the door, and Yuuri sighed in relief when it closed behind the group.

“Do you think a relationship with an angel is actually going to lead to anything?” Otabek spoke up behind him. The boy had been so quiet all evening Yuuri had almost forgot he was there. The mermaid prince rubbed the small scars where his gills used to be and shrugged.

“I don’t really know.”

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Victor fell back on his bed, the mattress springs protesting loudly under the sudden weight. He froze, hoping he hadn’t woke Chris up. The bedside lamp flickered on and illuminated Chris sitting silently on his bed, still fully clothed. Victor just stared at him, wondering if the boy had been waiting there all night.

                “So how’d your date go?”

                Victor’s mouth popped open in surprise. Chris had waited for who knows how long, probably sitting in the same position the whole time, just to question him about his time with Yuuri. Chris dropped his head down to rest on his hands, his face open and expecting.

                “I think it went well.” Victor went on to describe the date in full detail, even the moment on the cliff where he had nearly kissed the mermaid prince. Chris sat silently, listening in rapt attention and groaning loudly when Victor brought up how the wolves had burst in when Yuuri’s lips had only been a few inches away.

                “I just wish they had been a few seconds later. I wish I knew if he had wanted to kiss me too or if I was making it all up in my head.” Victor touched his lips with his fingertips unconsciously, wondering what it would have felt like to close the distance between them.

                “Are you going to see him again?”

                “I shouldn’t.” Victor said quietly. It was true. He should stop this now before either of them got too far in. He shouldn’t have ever started it. They were only on earth for a few more days and he highly doubted his father would sanction trips to the ground just so he could try to meet up with his mermaid crush. What would his father even say if he ever found out that Victor had gone on a date with a mermaid? A mermaid prince no less!

                “But?” Chris was grinning mischeviously.

                “But what?”

                “That was definitely a statement that sounded like it was going to be followed up with a ‘but’” Chris chuckled. “You know, an ‘I shouldn’t but I will’.”

                Victor sat quietly, trying to convince himself that Chris was wrong, that he hadn’t been excited to see Yuuri again from the moment he had gone into his hotel room. They heard a noise at the door and then footsteps retreating quickly down the hall. Victor pushed himself off the bed and opened the door but the hallway was empty. As he closed the door a small slip of paper fluttered down onto the dingy hotel carpet. He scooped it up and flipped it open.

                “I had fun today. Meet me at the museum again tomorrow at the same time?”

                Victor couldn’t stop the huge grin from stretching his lips. Chris snatched the paper from his fingers and whooped loudly as he read it.

                “Chris!” Victor scolded as they heard grumbling from next door. They dove back in their beds, yanking the covers over them and smashing the knob on the lamp to turn it off. Victor squeezed his eyes shut as he heard Yakov open the door between their rooms. The older angel gave an annoyed sigh as he looked at their still forms and shut the door. The two boys waited a few minutes, taking the silence from their neighbor as an all clear. Chris flicked the lamp back on and wiggled his eyebrows at Victor. The angel prince stifled a giggle and tucked the note into his pocket.

                “Yakov wants us to have some sort of impromptu class tomorrow since we’re missing school but I’m sure if you leave early enough I can just have forgotten to tell you about it.” He winked at Victor and the prince nodded. He curled himself into the blankets, completely forgetting to change out of his day clothes in his happiness. Yuuri wanted to see him again.

                He was going to see Yuuri again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please comment and let me know what you think, since that and kudos are the easiest way for me to see that people are reading and enjoying my work! As always, you can find me at millionharry.tumblr.com or my new Yuri on Ice AU blog yuuriaus.tumblr.com


	9. Into The Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri wants to show Victor something wonderful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I just wanted to warn you that there won't be an update next week because I'm heading to a con for the weekend! Thank you for continuing to read this fic and please leave comments or kudos so that I know you're enjoying it!  
> Happy reading!  
> -Cass

               Yuuri rubbed at his gills, wondering what he was doing. There was no way Victor was even going to show up and Yuuri would be waiting in the snow by himself for hours. He would wait, of course he would wait. He would wait until there was no way it was just Victor running late or over sleeping. He would wait until there was no possible answer except for Victor having stood him up.

                He didn’t really know where the self-doubt was from, back home he wasn’t nearly this critical of himself. Then again he’d never had any reason to be. He’d never really been attracted to any of the mermaids. There was a little mermaid he’d been in classes with when he was younger that he’d had a crush on but nothing had ever come of it. In fact she was now married with three kids. She was married and raising her family, and Yuuri was standing outside an old museum hoping that the angel he had a ridiculous crush on would show up.

                His head snapped to the side as the sound of snow crunching under feet reached his ears. Victor was approaching him, his white clothes and hair all but camouflaging him into the white background. He smiled widely as he locked eyes with Yuuri, and the mermaid felt himself smiling back in response. His heart fluttered in his chest and he wondered again how someone he had only known a few days could have this kind of effect on him. The angel approached, his hands tucked into the pockets of the white pants he wore. The white of his pants flowed into a white collared shirt and a white scarf that wrapped around his neck. Yuuri wondered if the boy had ever worn anything other than white. He had a strange urge to see him in something bright and vibrant, something that matched his personality.

                “You’re not wearing your glasses.” Yuuri’s hand went unconsciously to his face, touching his cheek even though he knew his glasses weren’t perched there.

                “Sara said that my eyes should be able to handle sunlight now so I don’t have to wear them.” She had told him to keep them with him anyway just in case his eyes started hurting or it got too bright outside.

                “So where are we going today?” Victor asked, linking his arm through Yuuri’s. The merman looked at their intertwined arms and swallowed hard. Having Victor this close made it hard to think but there was no way he was going to pull his arm away.  He racked his brain, trying to remember what he had planned.

                “Well,” He started when he finally collected himself, “I got to see your wings yesterday so I was thinking we could go to the beach and maybe I could show you what I really look like?”

                It was a question and a statement at the same time. He wasn’t sure if this was weird or too soon. It felt right to him to have the boy see him in his true form but maybe for angels that would be weird. Maybe seeing him as a mermaid would remind Victor that the angels considered themselves above the other species. Victor was staring at him. Oh he’d definitely overstepped some sort of holy angel boundary.

                “I think I’d like that very much.” He was quiet, a weird tinge of what sounded like surprise in his voice. Yuuri gave a small smile, his racing heart calming a bit. He thought about what he was going to ask next and his heart started right back up. It couldn’t be healthy for his heart to be going through all of this.

                “The beach is a bit far.” He bit his lip and his hand went to his neck. Victor nodded encouragingly, waiting for him to continue. “Do you think you could fly us out there?”

                Victor giggled and Yuuri wondered how someone so beautiful could make such a cute sound. The angel boy brushed his fingers across his cheek, causing Yuuri to nearly faint in surprise.

                “Is that what this blush is all about?” Victor dropped his hand into Yuuri’s grasp and pulled him towards the forest.

***************************************************************************************************************************************************************

                Victor could acutely feel Yuuri’s hand in his as they moved into the cover of the trees. His skin was incredibly soft, probably a result of having lived under water his entire life. Truthfully, his hands could have been as rough as sandpaper and Victor still would have felt as if he was holding the softest thing in the world.

                They had to go far enough into the forest that they wouldn’t be seen from the town once Victor took off. He could only imagine the lecture he’d get from Yakov if someone in town reported a flying man. Once Victor thought they had gotten far enough, he turned to Yuuri and held his arms out. The dark haired prince stepped in between his arms and wrapped his arms around Victor’s waist. The angel had to concentrate hard to keep his breathing normal as he felt the boy’s chest press against his own. He wrapped his arms around Yuuri and felt the delicious stretch of his wings unfurling. They fanned out behind his back, fluttering in the slight breeze. He stretched them wide, as wide as they could go, and pushed downward. He could feel the wind brushing against each solitary feather as he lifted them both into the sky. He carefully dodged trees, not an easy feat with his large wing span, as soon they were gliding above the tree line. Yuuri peeked up and pointed to the beach he wanted to go to, a faint tan smudge on the skyline.

                Victor flew, catching the slightly warmer currents of air and coasting easily on the breeze. He felt one of Yuuri’s hands reach up and touch a feather, causing a jolt to go through his whole body. He nearly dropped the prince and the pair dipped down quickly. Yuuri gasped and yanked his hand back, gripping Victor’s waist tighter than before.

                “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to mess you up!” He apologized quickly and Victor had to steady his voice before he could reply.

                “Angel wings are very sensitive and you…you startled me.” Victor was glad that angels didn’t blush because his entire face would be bright red. His whole body tingled with warmth from that one touch. The outer feathers weren’t as sensitive but the ones towards the base, the ones Yuuri had caressed, those were extremely sensitive. He looked down at Yuuri. The boy had his face pressed into Victor’s shirt, trying to hide the vibrant red blush that colored his cheeks. He let out a booming laugh and pulled them back up into the warm currents.

                They landed on the beach, after Victor had circled a bit to ensure there weren’t any people around. The sand shifted underneath his feet as he set them both down, his arms lingering a bit too long around Yuuri. To Victor’s surprise, the merman’s arms stayed around him just as long. They turned to the beach and Victor looked out across the water. The sun was mostly hidden behind the clouds, causing the sky above the waves to look slightly gray. The water lazily rolled into the shore and Victor watched as it dragged the sand back with it every time it receded. He slipped his white shoes off and folded his wings into his back, not wanting to weigh them down if they got wet. The sand was harsh and pebbly between his toes, nothing like the soft, sandy beaches he had heard about. Maybe that was in a different place, because this looked nothing like his idea of bright white sandy beaches and crystal blue water. He edged forward until the water licked the tips of his toes when it rushed up onto the shore. It was weird. It was water, but something about it felt inherently dangerous and alive.

                He could hear Yuuri behind him and he turned to ask the merman how the whole transformation worked. His words stuck in his throat when he turned and saw Yuuri pulling his shirt over his head. Mouth dropping open, he stared at the boy, his eyes traveling over every plane of his toned stomach and chest.

                “Oh! I didn’t even think that this could make you uncomfortable.” Yuuri blushed and covered his torso with his shirt. He retreated behind some bushes and Victor tried to pretend as though he couldn’t hear the rest of the boy’s clothes coming off. His mouth was painfully dry and he couldn’t seem to swallow. All of the moisture from his mouth seemed to have retreated to his palms, which were clammy and warm.

                “If you close your eyes I’ll run to the water.” Yuuri called out. Victor squeezed his eyes shut, though some part of him wanted to peek, and waited until Yuuri gave him the all clear. The other boy was waist deep in the water. And Victor wished he had brought some other pants to change into. A thought popped in his head and he wondered if even he would be bold enough to do it.

                He slid his pants down his legs and unbuttoned his shirt until stood in just his plain white boxers. Yuuri’s mouth popped open in surprise and Victor laughed as his cheeks flushed. He waded into the water and stood next the merman who was looking everywhere but Victor’s bare chest.

                “I’ve never done this before so I’m not sure how long this takes.” Yuuri admitted. They waited a few minutes and Victor wondered if there was a problem when suddenly Yuuri dropped down in the water.  Brilliant colors flashed through the water and down the boy’s legs which seemed to have fused together.

                He could just barely see through the water but he could see where the pale flesh of Yuuri’s stomach turned into dark scales. The dark fish tail was studded with streaks of purple and red, with a large, thinner fin expanding from the back. Two smaller fins flanked Yuuri’s hips, and Victor wanted nothing more than to reach down and touch them. He reached into the water and allowed his finger tips to trace the thin fin. Yuuri’s hand grasped his and used it to pull himself to where his face was out of the water.

                “You’re beautiful.” Victor breathed before he could stop himself. His hand flew to his mouth, holding it closed before he could say anything else. Yuuri smiled slightly and Victor could see two slits along the side of his neck. He touched them lightly with his fingers.

                “Those are my gills. They allow me to breathe under water.” Victor nodded, not completely understanding how they worked but not overly concerned with the science. He watched as Yuuri glided through the water, much more graceful than he’d ever seen the boy on land.

                “It’s like you’re flying but in the water.” For some reason the statement made Yuuri laugh out loud.

                “It’s called swimming Victor.” Victor laughed too and reached down to dunk Yuuri under the water.

                “I know that. I just mean you look so comfortable, like it’s completely effortless.”

                Yuuri swam for a little longer and Victor watched him silently, taking in the way he moved smoothly through the water. The weak sunlight glinted off of his dark scales and Victor vaguely wondered if he had ever seen anything more beautiful. Every time the prince would swim by him he’d let his fingers glide over his lithe body. He knew it was improper, that if his father ever knew about how he was acting he’d be banished for sure, but he was drawn to the boy for some reason. It was almost as if he could feel his body being pulled forward until they could touch again.

                Yuuri surface, the water slicking his dark hair back against his skin.

                “Do you want to head back to shore?” Victor nodded, wondering why the image of soaking wet Yuuri made his heart do weird things in his chest. Nothing about this boy made sense to him. He was ridiculously attractive but he carried himself as if he didn’t even know it. He was so interesting but acted like no one had any reason to want to talk to him. He was so many contradictions and Victor found himself wanting to unravel him.

                When they got back up to the beach, Victor watched in fascination as Yuuri’s legs separated and the scales began to recede up towards his abdomen. He respectfully looked away when they got too high and, when he heard Yuuri retreat behind the bushes, he retrieved his pants and shirt from the sand. The clothes clung to his wet skin and he hoped he dried off before he returned to the hotel because there was no way he could explain this to Yakov.

                Yuuri reemerged from the bushes, his clothes also plastered to his wet skin, and they settled onto the sand. They sat close, their shoulders brushing and Victor fought the urge to reach out and take the prince’s hand.

                They talked for a while, both exhausting their questions about the other’s home and life. Victor was extremely interested in how free the mermaids were to do just about anything. There were very few rules to govern their lives, though that was in part why everyone got along so well. Everyone was free to do whatever made them happy as long as it didn’t harm someone else. Yuuri was equally as interested in Victor’s description of the Academy. The mermaids had schools but nothing was quite as organized or thorough as the Academy seemed. He asked lots of questions about the classes and what they learned.

                When they had covered all of the questions they could think of, they just sat and talked about each other’s hopes and dreams. Yuuri confided in Victor how he was worried that he wouldn’t be a good leader, and how all he wanted was to do what was right for his people. Victor admitted to Yuuri that all he had every wanted was to make his father proud but that everything he did seemed to push him farther and farther from him. They tried to comfort each other, but mostly they just listened which was what both of them really needed.

                Victor wasn’t sure how long they sat on the beach but when he looked up, the sun was beginning to dip behind the edge of the water.

                “Did you want to head back towards the hotel before it gets too dark?” Victor started to get up but Yuuri’s hand on his arm stopped him.

                “Actually I didn’t just bring you out here to see me in the water. There’s something else I wanted to show you and JJ said this is the best place to see it.” Victor was confused by the vague answer but he sat back in the sand. They continued to watch the sun fade behind the horizon and Victor wondered what Yuuri could possibly want to show him in the dark.

                Suddenly the night sky lit up with lights. Streaks of green, blue and purple danced across the sky and Victor’s mouth dropped open in complete awe. His hand reached out and gripped Yuuri’s, needing some reassurance that he wasn’t in some sort of fever dream. He stared wide eyed at the sky, trying to take in every color in the spectrum above him. It was absolutely breath taking and a part of him wondered how he could ever go back to the plain white angel kingdom after seeing something like this.

                He looked down at Yuuri, the boy’s dark eyes reflecting the magnificent colors in the sky. His cheeks were flushed with excitement and he was staring up at the sky in wonder. He turned to look at Victor and seemed surprised to find the angel already looking at him.

                “Isn’t it beautiful?” He whispered, his eyes dancing like the lights above him. Victor smiled gently, his heart pounding inside his chest and his breaths coming in nervous pants.

                “It is.” Victor whispered back before leaning in and pressing his lips to Yuuri’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading! Please comment or leave a kudo to let me know that you like my writing! As always, you can find me at millionharry.tumblr.com or yuuriaus.tumblr.com  
> -Cass


	10. Chapter 10- Of Angel Blood and Hickies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor has to consider the consequences and Yuuri faces an inquisition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Firstly I want to say how terribly sorry I am for the unannounced hiatus! I had some personal issues and responsibilities that I had to take care of that prevented me from giving this fic the attention it deserves. That being said, here I am! I’m hoping to pick this right back up and continue exploring this world. Hopefully you’ll all forgive me and be just as excited to restart this as I am! Thank you so much and happy reading!   
>  -Cass

Victor leaned in, his lips pressing into Yuuri’s. The merman’s lips were softer than anything he could imagine, their warmth molding to his own. He tangled his fingers in the prince’s dark hair, using it to pull Yuuri closer and closer until there was no space between them, no place that their bodies didn’t touch. He felt Yuuri’s hands clutch at his waist, bunching up the white shirt until they slid across the planes of his abdomen.

                Suddenly, the boy was yanked away from him and flung backwards on the sand. Victor’s eyes flew open to see men dressed in white dragging the merman away from him. Yuuri yelled something incomprehensible and Victor tried to leap to his feet. Hands pushed down at his shoulders, keeping him on his knees in the shifting sand. Something blocked out the glow of the sky and Victor looked up. His father stood before him, face dark in the night and wings outstretched behind his back. His eyes glowed gold with fury, glaring down at his son whose lips were still parted in surprise.

                “Victor.” His father growled, reaching behind him. He unsheathed a sword, its blade glowing faintly in the moonlight. Except the moon wasn’t the cause of the ethereal glow on the metal. The golden aura was the remnant of the last time the sword had been used. The stain of angel’s blood.

                “Father please!” He cried, suddenly understanding. “Don’t do this!” Something pressed into his spine, a piercing pressure in the one place that could force an angel to display his wings. He felt them burst from his back as he fought to keep them inside. They extended against his will, their span nearly matching that of his father. His father reached over him, handling the sword to whoever was behind him holding him down.

                “You have brought shame to the angels and to me. You have broken one of our most upheld covenants.” Alexei Nikiforov said. He looked coldly at his son, though he seemed to look through him more than at him. He raised his hand, a gesture that Victor knew matched the raising of the sword over his outstretched wings.

                “You are banished.”

                He slashed his hand downward.

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************

                Victor jerked awake in bed, his chest heaving in fear. Sweat dripped down his spine and plastered his fine hair to his forehead. He gripped at the sheets, twisting them around himself as he looked around the dark room. Sunlight was just beginning to peek beneath the thin curtains that hung over the window and it illuminated Chris, still sleeping soundly in bed. He watched the steady rise and fall of the boy’s chest and tried to match his breathing, tried to slow his racing heart.

                It had all seemed so real. He could still see his father’s glowing golden eyes and he knew he wouldn’t be getting any more sleep. He rolled out of the bed, his feet sliding silently onto the carpeted floor. Grabbing a white shirt from the open closet, he pulled it over his head and quietly slipped out the door. He walked to the stairs, walked down past the floor he knew Yuuri would be sleeping soundly on. He had walked the prince to his room last night, savoring every moment they could spend together. He trudged down the stairs and into the lobby, his hands shoved into the pockets of his pants. The manager wasn’t sitting behind the desk, as it was probably too early for him to be expecting anyone to be entering or exiting the hotel. The main doors were locked tight and it took Victor a few minutes to find a side door that he could unlock without a key.

                He felt the chill of the air but not the bite, and he wished that for once he could feel the ice. He wished his angel blood would chill and freeze in his veins, to stop the heat he still felt all over his body from the energy of the dream. The town was silent before him, no one having ventured out into the snow yet. More of the white stuff had fallen as he and Yuuri had made their way home last night and now it blanketed the town and showed the evidence that no one had left the warmth of their houses yet. The only footsteps marring the perfect white were his.

                He was completely alone.

                Victor made his way towards the forest, footsteps crunching satisfyingly on the icy ground. His hot breath misted in the morning air and he stopped for a second just to watch it float away. Resuming his march, he tilted his head up to stare into the sky.

                Somewhere up there his father was sitting in his white palace, probably perched on his golden throne. He wondered what his father would say if he could have seen how Victor had been acting the past couple of days and shuddered, knowing his dream was probably not that far off from what the reality would be.

                That was the crutch of the matter, after all. That was why Victor was standing alone in the early morning, an undistinguishable white speck among the endless white powder. Was his little…whatever it was…with Yuuri worth the possible consequences? Was holding his hand worth seeing his father stand above him with that stained sword? Was the warm feelings the boy elicited worth the feeling of that blade slicing through his wings? Was this one boy worth jeopardizing his entire world?

                His wings were everything to him. He couldn’t imagine not being able to drift along the warm air currents or never again feeling that rush when he tucked his wings back and let himself plummet towards the earth. It would be like losing an integral piece of who he was, taking away his ability to soar.

                He needed to get off the ground and clear his head for a while. He needed to get up somewhere the air was clear and a certain beautiful merman could never reach. Maybe then he’d understand why even after his horrific dream, and the knowledge that it was probably an accurate prediction, he was still looking forward to getting a glimpse of the dark haired prince.

***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************

                Yuuri gasped awake, something pressed against his chest, preventing him from breathing properly. He’d had nightmares before where it felt like the entire ocean was smothering him, but this was different. When he woke up the weight didn’t go away.

                He peeked above the covers to see Sara perched on his torso, her hands splayed on his chest to hold herself upright. Inquisitive eyes lit up as she realized he was awake.

                “Tell me everything!” She whispered conspiratorially.

                “I don’t know why you’re whispering, you woke everyone else up ten minutes ago.” Emil groaned from where he still laid in bed. There was a pillow covering his head and Yuuri wasn’t sure if it was from him trying to block Sara out or from her trying to smother him with it when he wouldn’t get up. He honestly wouldn’t be surprised if it was a bit of both.

                Sara gripped him by the shoulders and pulled him upwards, the sheets sliding down to reveal his bare chest. The merman scrambled to yank them back up but it was too late.

                “What are those?” The girl screeched, ripping the sheets out of his hands and pointing at the dark spots adorning Yuuri’s collar bones. The prince felt his entire face warm as he wondered if there was any way he could just sink down into the floor. Emil sat up in bed, apparently accepting that he wasn’t going to get to go back to sleep. A muffled snort alerted Yuuri to the fact that Mickey was also present, sat in one of the complimentary desk chairs in the corner.

                “You might as well tell her what happened Yuuri. You know she’ll never let it go.” He said. Yuuri looked between him and Emil, hoping one of them would step in and save him. They were supposed to be his guards after all. Both of the merman smirked at him and silently shook their heads. There would be no rescue mission mounted on their part.

                “Yuuri. Katsuki.” Sara breathed, pausing between each word. “Crown. Prince. Please. Tell. Me. What. Happened.” Her hands were now on his cheeks, pushing his lips together so much that he wasn’t sure he could tell her even if he wanted to. He mumbled something and she released her grip on his face but didn’t remove herself from his lap. She moved her head closer to his, her eyes boring into him, waiting for him to speak.

                “Well, I told you JJ had told me where to go to watch the lights.” Yuuri wondered if he should try to edit any of the activity that had occurred _after_ the lights had streamed across the night sky, but one look into Sara’s eyes told him that she would know the moment he tried to omit something. “So he flew us out to the beach.”

                “He flew you? As in held you to his chest and picked you up?”

                “Well, yes. There was no other way for him to not drop me.”

                “That’s so romantic!”

                “Sara if you don’t shut up he’ll never finish this story.” Mickey tossed a throw pillow at his sister. She dodged and threw a glare over her shoulder, but mimed zipping her mouth shut and throwing away the key. Yuuri nodded and swallowed.

                “Well we got there and I decided to show him my tail. So I undressed and ran into the ocean. Then he got in too only he was wearing his underwear.”

                “You mean Victor Nikiforov, prince of the angels, took his shirt off in front of you?” Sara immediately broke her vow of silence. All three mermen looked at her quietly until she sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. “Continue. I won’t say anything until the end.”

                “So we swam around a bit and he kept touching my fins. And he kept saying how beautiful I was which I guess is better than running away in fear.”

                “Well he is an inhuman as well. I’m sure you’re not the weirdest thing he’s ever seen.” Emil piped up from his spot on the bed. Everyone looked quietly at him. “What? I didn’t promise to be quiet!”

                “Anyway,” Yuuri turned back to look at Sara, “So after that we both got dressed and sat on the beach to watch the lights. They were beautiful but the entire time I just couldn’t stop thinking about how the lights would look reflected in Victor’s eyes. So I turned to see if they were as beautiful as I thought and he was looking at me too. So we just sort of leaned together and we kissed.” Yuuri stopped and used one of the pillows on the bed to cover his face. Sara pulled it down and gestured frantically to the hickies lining his throat. “Well I was wearing that shirt Emil gave me with the low collar and then it got wet when I put it on after I was in the water so the extra weight pulled the collar down even further. So we just got a little carried away I guess.”

                Yuuri flicked his fingers over his gills and started. They were much more open than they had been the day before! He could almost distinctly feel the flaps of skin that opened to pull water in. Sara noticed where his attention was and lifted her chin to show her own neck. Her gills were nothing more than two faint lines etched into her skin.

                “Since you shifted back into your tail yesterday your gills are more prominent. Much like actual fish, if we’re on land too long we dry out. We don’t die but we lose our ability to turn. Once the gills are gone, there’s no way to go back, which is why we have to monitor how long we stay on land.” She explained shifting so that she slid off of Yuuri’s lap and onto the bed where she sat cross-legged.

                “So there’s no way to regain your tail after your gills have disappeared?” Yuuri asked.

                “None that we know of. No one’s ever come back after being gone that long.” Emil shrugged. “There’s a bunch of wives tales,” Mickey laughed at the unintended pun while Emil rolled his eyes, “that we die or that you can only stay on land for a few hours before you dry out. They work to keep the younger ones from venturing onto land before they know how to do it without alerting the entire human population to our existence. Older merfolk are usually ok being on land for a few weeks before they get to the point of no return.”

                “Do you know anyone who’s dried up?” Yuuri questioned. He’d heard stories of merfolk leaving the water but in all of those no one could tell what had actually happened to them, or if they had dried up on purpose.

                “There was a girl my age, we used to play together as children.” Sara started. “She went on land one night as a dare, totally against the rules. But she met a human that night and fell in love. She kept sneaking out at night to see him and one night she never came back. Her father said she was captured but I think everyone knew she had just decided to dry up so she could stay on land. I don’t know what ever happened to her though.”

                “She’s not the only one. There’s always a one every couple of years that disappears like that. The older merfolk try to make it seem like they got taken or something but they never try to get them back or find them which you would think they’d do if they truly believed they’d been captured.” Mickey said.

                Yuuri nodded, wondering what it would feel like to dry up. He had the absurd thought that it would be really itchy.

                “But back to the important topic!” Sara crowed and painfully poked at one of Yuuri’s hickies. “First off, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of an angel getting anything close to undressed with anyone, much less the prince himself! I thought they were all prudes who wore at least three layers of clothing just to make sure no one could even tell the shape of their body. Secondly, he kissed you! He did more than kiss you. You two practically had a make out session on the beach! I wonder how his ‘holier than thou’ dad would feel about that.” Yuuri wondered how she could say all of that in one breath.

                “It’s definitely interesting.” Emil mused. “In my experience the angels barely talk to anyone else so for one to be quite so bold is refreshing. I’m sure Yuuri agrees.” He smirked at the prince who was back to smashing his face into the pillow to avoid making eye contact with anyone. “Though I agree it would be interesting to see how his dad would react.”

                “He’d probably smite him or something.” Mickey snickered. Yuuri was suddenly worried. What if Victor did get in trouble for being so friendly with him? What were the consequences for that sort of thing?

                Mermaids, and as far as he could tell vampires and werewolves, were much more relaxed about this sort of thing. Many of them had flings with the other species (excluding the angels obviously) and flings with each other. Even within their own species it didn’t seem like any of them particularly cared about gender or anything like that. The angels had been the first Yuuri had heard of there being prejudice against anything but male angel and female angel mixing. It was weird and many wondered if it stemmed from the angel’s slightly buying into the idea that they were God’s chosen creatures, though everyone knew they weren’t the angels described in biblical times.

                It was a slightly scary prospect. He liked Victor a lot and he liked spending time with him, but he definitely didn’t want to be the reason he got in trouble with his father or the rest of his species. Another thought popped into his head, one he wasn’t sure was any better than the idea of Victor being punished for being with him.

                “What’s wrong?” Sara asked, noticing the way Yuuri’s entire body had stiffened. Yuuri shook his head, not sure he wanted to put his thought into words. Sara prompted him to share, telling him that it would make him feel better to talk about it instead of holding it in. Yuuri took a deep breath.

                “What if I’m just some sort of experiment for him? Some sort of rebellion against his father?” He breathed, the words seeming to burn as they left his throat. They hung there in the air for a few seconds, the silence seeming to echo with them.

                “Even if you are, you’re only here for a few more days anyway so it doesn’t really matter right?” Emil laid back down in the bed, obviously thinking his words had solved everything.

                “Right.” Yuuri said. Sara looked at him, her eyebrows arched as though she knew the truth. As if she knew that for some reason, it was very much not right. That Yuuri wasn’t sure how he’d feel if it turned out he was nothing more to Victor Nikiforov than some secret rebellion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there we go! I am going to try to get back to posting regularly so be on the look out for the next chapter. I want to apologize again for the hiatus but everything’s good now so there shouldn’t be another interruption in the story. Please let me know what you think of this chapter!


	11. Suit Jackets and Hair Gel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lets just say Yuuri Katsuki cleans up quite nicely

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thank you so much for all of the support of the fic (after I went MIA for a few months) and I’m really excited to be getting into the meat of the story. If anyone’s wondering what I listen to while I’m writing this (which I’m sure no one is) I switch between OneRepublic’s Native album and Niall Horan’s Flicker album. Both are pretty nice background writing music so if you’re needing something a little lowkey to help get your writing wheels turning, I’d suggest those! Anyway, here’s the next chapter!  
>  Happy reading!  
>  -Cass

Yuuri watched apprehensively in the mirror as Sara used her fingers to smear gel into his hair. He’d never so much as brushed his hair before, there wasn’t much point to hair care when it was perpetually wet. But tonight was something of a formal dinner for the species, one of the last organized events they had before they all headed back to their clans. The merman knew he would be expected to give a report of this meeting when the provinces met in Syreni for their biannual gathering. Since it was rare for officials from the provinces to attend species meetings, they relied on the representatives from Syreni to update them on the happenings of the other species. It wasn’t usually much more than gossip, seeing as there hadn’t been any major happenings in decades. The last one Yuuri could think about was around the time of the human Cold War, which was similar to what had happened between the angels and the rest of the species. The angels had gotten offended about something that had occurred and refused to meet or even converse with the other species for years. If Yuuri was being honest, he didn’t really see what the big deal was. Only land species really faced any consequences if these meetings didn’t go well, it wasn’t like someone could attack the sky or ocean kingdoms. At this point, the meetings were simply a tradition, though Yuuri knew some creatures were wanting to create more inter-species spaces. A few years ago a wolf had suggested an all species school, where anyone could go and get a better understanding about the creatures as a whole. The idea had been shot down by the angels immediately, though of course they believed that the species should always remain separate so that wasn’t a surprise, though the other species had continued a dialogue about it. Eventually the idea had died off, as no one could agree on a location or set up for the school. The mermaids would need it close enough to the ocean that their students would be able to transform every once in a while, but the wolves and vampires all wanted it to be closer to their main homes. Of course, the other species thought the mermaids should have less say in the matter seeing as they possessed the least human money out of any of the species. It just didn’t serve much as a purpose to them as it did to the others. The vampires and werewolves both had amassed a large fortune, while some of the smaller clans of species lived quite nicely as well. Yuuri had thought it was a great idea but he knew that none of the species were likely to compromise. The closer the school was to their homeland, the more control they had over it.

                “Your hair is done. Go have one of the boys help you get dressed.” Sara poked him in the side, making Yuuri jump as he was spurred from his thoughts.

                He looked in the mirror and his mouth popped open. His hair was slicked back with a few strands purposefully pulled free. It wasn’t anything special but it somehow made the idea that Yuuri was attractive a little easier for him to believe.

                He slid out of the chair he was sitting in and made his way out of the bathroom. All three male guards were lounging about the room where Emil and Mickey were in the midst of teasing Otabek.

                “Where were you last night Otabek?” Emil snickered and arched an eyebrow at the stoic merman.

                “Out.” Otabek shrugged, flipping through a magazine he had found in the nightstand. Emil and Mickey shared a glance.

                “I heard you’ve been following around that little coven leader since the campfire.”

                “That’s interesting.” Otabek was clearly not going to give them what they wanted.

                “Well I heard that you two were at that underground club last night.” Mickey prodded. Yuuri was more surprised that a town like this had an underground club.

                Otabek just shrugged and continued to feign interest in the magazine. Yuuri cleared his throat, drawing the attention away from the quiet merman.

                “Sara said I needed help getting dressed.”

                Otabek sighed and placed the magazine on the bed next to him while Emil retrieved the bag of things Sara had picked up earlier that day. He laid the clothes out on the bed and Yuuri once again wondered why humans had so many different types of clothes. Certain ones were for sleeping, some were for swimming, some were for everyday where while others were specifically for doing nice things. These clothes were supposedly from the latter category and consisted of a pair of stiff looking navy blue pants, a matching jacket, a crisp white shirt and an emerald strip of cloth that Mickey said was called a ‘tie’.  Yuuri got dressed and then Mickey helped him tie the ‘tie’. They all stepped back and looked Yuuri up and down.

                “Damn Katsuki.” Emil whistled appreciatively. Mickey gave a thumbs up and even Otabek nodded once.

                “That angel isn’t gonna know what hit him.” Sara crowed gleefully as she emerged from the bathroom to admire her work. She had changed as well, now clothed in a clingy red dress that showed off her figure. Her dark hair was curled and pinned to the side, accentuating her elegant neck. “And I think I may even be able to catch the eye of that cute little vampire Mila.”

                Emil gave another whistle, this one a little longer than the one he gave Yuuri. Mickey whacked him in the back of the head and growled something about backing off his sister.

                “You guys need to get ready so we can go. I want us to be the last ones there but I don’t want us to be late!” Sara instructed. She turned to Yuuri and winked. “We’ll make a grand entrance.”

                Yuuri wasn’t so sure he wanted everyone looking at him, especially if he arrived late. But if he was being honest, the idea of having Victor’s eyes only on him sent a thrill through him. The others got dressed and, as he saw how good the clothes made them all look, he began to understand some of the reasons humans had so many styles of clothing.

                Once the group was ready, they headed down the stairs. The dinner was being held in the small ballroom that the hotel had. It was one of the few nice places in the tiny town, and from what Yuuri had heard when he asked the man in the lobby about it that morning, every big event in the town was held there.  The room was located on the main floor of the hotel and the group must have been running a little late because they didn’t pass any of the other species as they made their way towards the plain black doors that separated it from the rest of the building. Sara pulled them open and Yuuri sucked in a breath as he watched everyone inside turn to look at them. They were definitely making an entrance.

                He could see people looking appreciatively at the group as then entered the room but he searched for someone in particular. He finally spotted Victor, seated near the back of the room but when their eyes met, Victor looked away. When he looked back up at Yuuri, his face was blank, disinterested. Whatever mote of confidence Yuuri had felt after seeing himself in the mirror, flew out of him and Yuuri felt almost deflated.

                Sara noticed the occurrence, as she too had been waiting to see the angel’s reaction. She leaned over and hissed quietly through her teeth.

                “Yuuri Katsuki, you are a prince and tonight you look like a king. Do not let some stupid angel make you think you don’t look absolutely gorgeous.” She reached down and squeezed his hand.            

                Sara was almost immediately grabbed away by the little redheaded vampire that Yuuri had met at the campfire. The Night Walker’s eyes were wide as she very obviously checked Sara out. The mermaid wore a smirk of satisfaction and Yuuri felt a twinge of jealousy. He pushed it down though, knowing that if he wasn’t going to get that reaction someone should.

                Otabek had peeled away from their group upon entry and was now leaning against the wall talking to the one he had been rumored to have been hanging around during the week. Yurio was raptly listening to whatever the merman was saying, looking as happy as Yuuri could imagine him ever looking.

                Emil patted Yuuri on the shoulder and tossed his head sideways, indicating he was going to head over to chat up a group of female werewolves. Yuuri gave a small smile, letting him know that it was fine.

                Mickey stayed by his side, though Yuuri knew he was wanting to go back and make sure Sara was behaving. Yuuri told him to go, and after a small protest, he left the prince alone. He started to make his way towards Victor, hoping maybe the look had been a misinterpretation. However, at the first step he took towards the angel, the boy turned and walked away.

                Yuuri stood still in the middle of the room, the heat draining from his face. He didn’t know what to do and at the moment he was really wishing that he could go back upstairs and bury himself in his bed. Thankfully, he wasn’t alone long.

                “Prince Yuuri!” a loud voice called to him and he turned to see the small vampire he had met at the fire making his way towards him. The vampire stopped in front of him and smiled widely.

                “Hi.” Yuuri said, smiling back.

                “You probably don’t remember me, but that’s ok.” Yuuri racked his brain, trying to remember the boy’s name. So much had happened between meetings.

                “Minami!” He exclaimed, perhaps showing a bit too much excitement that he had remember the name. Minami, however, was obviously more excited that his name was remembered.

                “Wow! Most people here don’t remember me since I’m not anyone important.” He beamed up at Yuuri and the prince was very glad that he was one of the ones who did.

                “Well, I really enjoyed talking to you the other night so of course I would remember.” This made the younger boy smile impossibly wider. Yuuri vaguely wondered if his cheeks hurt at all.

                “I was hoping you would tell me more about what it’s like being a mermaid.”

                Yuuri glanced over at Victor who was talking to another angel, a boy who was probably a little older than Yuuri. The angel prince was very pointedly not looking in his direction and Yuuri’s heart dropped a little in his chest.

                “You don’t have to.” Minami sounded a little crestfallen and Yuuri immediately turned back to him.

                “No! Sorry! I was just a little distracted.” He quickly said, waving his hands in front of him in desperation. He began telling the boy about his life, trying to answer as many of the multitude of questions Minami had as possible.

                JJ interrupted them later, letting Yuuri know that the leaders would be sitting together at a table so they could get to know each other a little better. Yuuri said goodbye to Minami and began following him to the table in the middle of the hall.

                “So how did that little beach work out for you?” JJ whispered conspiratorially. “Who’d you take down there?”

                “I guess it didn’t work as well as I thought it did.” Yuuri fought the urge to look over at Victor again. He deliberately ignored the second part of the alpha’s question.

                “That’s too bad. But there’s plenty of others here who I’m sure would be up for a little romp.” He laughed loudly and nudged the merman with his elbow. Yuuri forced a quiet laugh and hoped the wolf would drop the subject.

                “How are things with Isabella?” He remembered the pretty she-wolf JJ had introduced the other night. It was apparently the right question to distract him, as JJ immediately started rattling off everything he could possibly ever want to know about their relationship. The two were from neighboring packs and had met when JJ was acknowledged as alpha. Apparently when a new alpha takes over, the packs close enough to attend are expected to come and pay their respects to him. The two had gotten engaged soon after and were going to be married later in the year. Yuuri let the werewolf continue talking as they sat at the table, apparently the only two who had decided to take their seats. JJ stopped to wave over Victor and then Yurio who looked quite annoyed to be interrupted from his conversation. Yuuri noted in surprise that he’d never seen Otabek look quite so animated.

                The merman held his breath as Victor approached and smiled hopefully at him. However, the white clothed angel didn’t even spare him a glance as he sat as far from Yuuri as he possibly could and still be seated at the same table. Yuuri’s gaze dropped to the table and he hoped he’d be able to slip out of the gathering early.

                Once they were all seated, the others in the room began finding tables of their own. JJ motioned to a man standing near the doors who then disappeared through a side door. A few minutes later, people emerged carrying trays of food to the tables. A plate of some sort of green stuff was placed in front of Yuuri and he poked at it with his fork.

                “Is this some sort of seaweed?” He questioned innocently. JJ choked back a laugh while Yurio rolled his eyes.

                “It’s called a salad you idiot.” The vampire growled. A small smile played on Victor’s lips but as soon as he saw Yuuri watching him he carefully schooled his features back into a blank canvas.

                Yuuri picked at the ‘salad’, finding that the bland green leaves weren’t nearly as appetizing as the food they had made out of seaweed back home. His appetite was dampened by Victor’s attitude, but even that didn’t stop him from eating every last drop of the soup served. JJ had informed him it was made out of something called a potato, and even though Yuuri had no idea what that was, he found himself wishing for second helpings of the soup. The main course was some sort of meat dish that JJ couldn’t pronounce. This prompted Yurio to correct his pronunciation a little more aggressively than was probably necessary.

                The meal went on in the same fashion, JJ explaining the food to Yuuri, Yurio being annoyed anytime anyone said anything and Victor very obviously avoiding looking in Yuuri’s direction. By the time the dessert arrived (some sort of pancake thing stuffed with fruits that JJ called a blintz) Yuuri was wishing he could sink straight through the floor.

                As soon as they’d finished eating, Victor pushed his chair back, the wooden legs scraping gratingly across the floor. The silver haired boy didn’t even look at him as he rushed away from the table. Obviously he couldn’t wait to be as far from Yuuri as possible. He watched the boy walk away, his fingers tracing the ridges of his gills.

                Somehow, he’d completely misread whatever he thought he’d had with Victor.

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************

                Victor walked away from the table, having to mentally remind himself not to run.

                But he had to get away, he couldn’t sit there at that table anymore. He couldn’t sit there and see how beautiful Yuuri looked. He couldn’t sit there and listen to the beautiful sound of his voice. If he had sat there any longer, he wasn’t sure he could have stopped himself from throwing himself across the table and pressing his lips to the prince’s. That suit was doing something to him.

                So he strode away from the table, knowing that if he stayed there any longer all of the reasons he had thought up that day about why continuing this thing with Yuuri was a bad decision would be out the window. A minute longer sitting there and seeing him with his hair slicked back and he would have given up his kingdom just for one kiss.

                So he left the table, feeling like he was leaving every bit of warmth in his body sitting right there in a perfectly tailored suit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So not much of Victor’s POV this chapter but that’s because next chapter is going to be mostly about him. I’m extremely excited for next chapter because of what I’ve got planned!! I hope ya’ll picked up the few easter eggs from the anime/extra videos/released stories that I included in this chapter.   
> Thanks for reading!


	12. Breathe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri is left wondering if he's done something wrong, while Victor is feeling like he is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So this update is a little late just cause I had some stuff to do yesterday. But its here anyway! I know a bunch of people were upset over how Victor reacted to Yuuri but I promise I’ll make it up to you! Thanks for continuing to support this fic and as always, please review and let me know if you’re enjoying it!  
> Happy reading,  
> -Cass

Victor walked away from the table, having to mentally remind himself not to run.

                But he had to get away, he couldn’t sit there at that table anymore. He couldn’t sit there and see how beautiful Yuuri looked. He couldn’t sit there and listen to the beautiful sound of his voice. If he had sat there any longer, he wasn’t sure he could have stopped himself from throwing himself across the table and pressing his lips to the prince’s. That suit was doing something to him.

                So he strode away from the table, knowing that if he stayed there any longer all of the reasons he had thought up that day about why continuing this thing with Yuuri was a bad decision would be out the window. A minute longer sitting there and seeing him with his hair slicked back and he would have given up his kingdom just for one kiss.

                The people watched unabashedly as he walked towards the patio at the back of the hall. He could hear them whispering but he didn’t really care. None of the rumors they could be coming up with could be any worse that what they would be saying if he had lost his control at that table.

                He had to get some air, had to get away from the eyes and the whispers and the beautiful mermen with slicked back hair. The door to the patio swung open easily, slamming against the wall and making the hall go quiet for a few seconds. Throwing a slightly apologetic glance over his shoulder to the other guests, he walked into the still night air. The stars glittered against the dark sky and they felt as far away as Victor felt from who he had been before coming down to Earth.

                He had never been this reckless. Sure he’d snuck away from the palace to go hang with his few friends every once in a while, but he’d never done anything that he could get into serious trouble for. If the idea of losing his title wasn’t scary enough, the idea of facing his father after doing something dishonoring was enough to put a stop to any other antics Victor could have gotten up to.

                Looking up at the stars, he ran a hand through his hair and tugged at the ends of it. Even now, even knowing all he stood to lose, the idea of never seeing Yuuri again made his heart contract. He shouldn’t want to see him, shouldn’t want to risk seeing him. He should stay as far away from Prince Yuuri Katsuki as possible.

                But all he wanted to do was march right up to that table and kiss him as hard as he could. Damn whoever would see and damn the gossip it would cause.

                The patio door opened and Victor turned to see Chris emerge, his pressed white suit seeming to gleam in the dim porch outside lights. He walked to where Victor was leaning against the railing. Chris stood in silence, his hands in his pockets and his head turned to the sky. They stood like that for a while, though Victor couldn’t say if it was a few minutes or a few hours. When he finally broke the silence, the angel’s voice was so quiet Victor almost didn’t hear it.

                “You’re falling for him aren’t you?”

                Victor turned to him, his mouth slightly open, though he wasn’t sure if it was in surprise or the beginning of a protest. He couldn’t find the words though to either confirm or deny the statement. He didn’t truly know himself. Is this what falling for someone felt like? This confusion and warmth and fear?

                “It’s ok if you are. I wouldn’t tell anyone.” Chris said quietly. He was uncharacteristically quiet and subdued, his eyes still trained on the night sky. Victor wondered what he should say, if anything would make any sense to Chris when it didn’t even make sense to Victor himself.

                “Thank you.”

                It was the only thing he could say. The only fully truthful thing he could come up with. Chris nodded silently and looked at Victor, his eyebrows furrowed as if he was debating saying something. Victor nodded, indicating he was listening.

                “Well,” He rubbed one hand across his face, “I don’t know if I could get in big trouble for suggesting this, but I guess you can’t snitch on me at this point.” He let out a short laugh. “But we’re only here a few more days. What could it hurt just to let yourself have some fun?”

                “What would I do if it got back to my father? You know he’d banish me without a second thought. He doesn’t tolerate same sex relationships between angels, do you know how furious he’d be if he found out I was in one with someone who wasn’t even the same species?” Chris nodded slowly and shrugged.

                “I guess you’re right.” Chris turned back towards the door. “I hope things can be different when you’re king though. You shouldn’t have to fear banishment for something you can’t help.”

                And with that, he was letting the door shut behind him and Victor was alone again.

********************************************************************************************************************************************************************

                Yuuri sat at the table as JJ babbled about some Canadian thing that he didn’t have a chance of understanding. It was some sort of sticky substance that they put on these things called ‘pancakes’. Yuuri could barely understand Russian land food, how was he expected to understand Canadian? He had tuned out a few minutes into JJ’s description and had been staring at the door Victor had disappeared through, wondering if the angel prince would reappear. He had seen the other angel follow after Victor a few minutes after.

                Yuuri wasn’t prone to jealousy. If he was being honest he’d never really had anything, or anyone, to be jealous over. As a prince he’d never wanted for anything. But he couldn’t stop himself from wondering what those two were doing out there. Was the other angel boy the reason for Victor’s cold attitude tonight? Had he suddenly realized that he couldn’t possibly want Yuuri when he had another beautiful angel there?

                Yuuri stood up and downed his third glass of whatever bubbly liquid had been placed before him. He thought JJ had referred to it as ‘champagne’ but he wasn’t sure. The liquid was cool but it felt weirdly warm sliding down his throat. Yurio looked up at Yuuri and watched the merman chug the remnants of his glass with a smirk.

                “Did your angel boy find someone better to occupy his time?” Yuuri ignored the vampire as JJ looked confusedly between the two. Yuuri had to know what was happening outside.

                He strode over to the door, trying to ignore the people whose eyes were tracking his every move. He made eye contact with Sara who was currently sitting pretty close to the pretty vampire girl. She gave him a thumbs up and then non-discretely pointed at the girl next to her while raising her eyebrows.

                Yuuri reached for the handle right as the door was pulled open. He came face to face with the other angel. They surveyed each other silently while he shut the door behind him. Chris’ eyes traveled across Yuuri’s face, searching for something. He must have found it because he gave the merman a small smile and a slight nod of his head. He brushed past him and Yuuri found himself staring at the door.

                What would he find out on the patio? Would he find the Victor of yesterday, beautiful and warm? Or would he find the Victor of tonight, someone as cold and hard as he was always told angels were?

                He took a deep breath and pushed the door open, making sure to hold onto the handle so as not to let it swing into the wall. He already had enough eyes tracking his every movement, he didn’t need to make a bigger spectacle on his way out.

                Victor was facing away from the door, his elbows leaning on the metal railing that surrounded the patio. His head was tilted up as if he was staring at the stars. Yuuri stood quietly, wanting to study Victor in the quiet of the night. Out here he was more of the Victor he’d come to know in the past few days. The dim lighting softened his features, even with the harsh white suit he was wearing. His silvery hair danced slightly in the wind and Victor stood so still that Yuuri wondered if he was even breathing. Yuuri knew it was dramatic, but he really couldn’t think of a more beautiful picture. He looked like a painting and the dark haired prince could understand why humans had thought these creatures were heaven sent.

                “Chris I already told you I…” Victor turned, stopping midsentence when he realized it wasn’t the angel standing behind him. His mouth hung open and Yuuri could tell that this time he actually wasn’t breathing.

                “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come out here.” Yuuri mumbled, turning and placing his hand on the door handle. He stilled, his blood suddenly thrumming in his veins. “Actually, I’m not sorry.” He turned back to the still not breathing angel. “You don’t get to kiss me and then act like we’ve never even spoken.” He crossed his arms to hide the shaking of his hands. He was never one for confrontation but something was giving him a little extra confidence tonight.

                Victor looked at him, still open mouthed, and didn’t say anything. Yuuri vaguely wondered if angels could go this long without taking a breath.

                “Well? Are you going to tell me why you’re acting like such an ass tonight?”

                The angel finally closed his mouth and sucked a large breath in through his nose. A part of Yuuri was relieved to see it. Victor ran a hand through his hair, and from the looks of it he’d been doing that a lot tonight. He took another deep breath and turned away from Yuuri, turned his face back towards the stars.

                “I shouldn’t kiss you Yuuri. I shouldn’t even want to kiss you. All my life I’ve been told how wrong that is. You’re not an angel and you’re not a girl.” Yuuri stayed silent, sensing that Victor was trying very hard to find the words to explain his behavior. “There’s nothing about you that I’m supposed to like or be attracted to and I’ve been trying very hard tonight to convince myself that this….this…whatever this is, that it’s just something that’s going to pass.”

                He turned back to Yuuri, and the merman could see his eyes glimmering with unshed tears. He wanted to close the distance between them and take Victor into his arms, to comfort him, to hold him, to just show him that he was there. But he knew he needed to let Victor decide.

                “But then I see you in that damn suit and I wonder if I even want this to pass.” He held his hands up in a gesture of helplessness before letting them fall to his side. He let out a humorless chuckle and finally made eye contact with Yuuri. The merman let a small smile play on his lips, hoping it would convey some sort of positive message to the angel. Victor’s mouth popped open again and Yuuri wondered if all this not breathing was good for him.

                “Damn it all.” Victor growled before quickly closing the distance between them. It was only seconds before his fingers were tangled in Yuuri’s hair and he was pushing him against the brick wall of the hotel. Their lips pressed together, hot and searching. Yuuri let his hands slide up Victor’s back, feeling the ridges where his wings retracted into his back. Victor shuttered against him, pressing himself further into Yuuri. Victor’s breath was coming fast and shallow as he continued to kiss him and a voice in the back of Yuuri’s brain wondered if he should be making sure the light haired boy was getting air.

                Victor continued to kiss Yuuri, his body pressing Yuuri’s back into the rough brick wall, though the latter boy certainly couldn’t feel it at the moment. The angel’s hands yanked at Yuuri’s dress shirt, trying to get it untucked from his pants. He finally freed it and his hands slid underneath the fabric to roam the planes of Yuuri’s stomach.

                Yuuri pulled away slightly, as far as he could with Victor in front of him and a wall behind him

                “I don’t know much about breathing, but I’m not sure you’re doing too great.” He mumbled around Victor’s lips that were attempting to reclaim his.

                “I’m fine.” Victor groaned.

                And promptly passed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it’s a little shorter this time, I needed to get some things out of the way before I can do what I’m planning for next chapter. Hopefully you liked it anyway and maybe you’ll even leave me a comment? Thanks for reading!


	13. Repercussions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor explains why no one can know about him and Yuuri, whatever they are.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I wish I had an excuse for being away for so long but I don’t. I hit a major writer’s block and just couldn’t bring myself to work on any of my writing projects. I don’t know if this happens to other writers but I’m doing my best to get back into my writing. So, without further ado, here we go!

Yuuri looked down in shock at the angel who was now slumped on the concrete. His hands fluttered uselessly around the boy’s face, smoothing his hair back and trying in vain to rouse him. At least, based on the slight rise and fall of his chest, he seemed to be breathing now. Yuuri slowly pulled the door open, trying to not bring too much attention to himself but needing to catch the eye of someone who could help him and not ask too many questions. He needed one of the mermaids.

                Sara had obviously been keeping an eye on the door, no doubt timing how long Yuuri had remained outside. Her mischievous look turned to one of concern when Yuuri anxiously beckoned to her. She excused herself from the table, disentangling herself from Mila’s hands as she went. She tried to inconspicuously make her way over to the door but someone else had also been watching where the two princes were. The other male angel followed quietly behind her, a look of alarm on his face.

                They both reached the exit at the same time, the angel trying to step in front of Sara. The mermaid deftly shouldered him out of the way and he sighed loudly as he shut the door behind them. Yuuri had scooted back, cradling the angel’s head in his lap, and he looked up as the two creatures moved to stand over them.

                “Damn I’m good.” Sara said under her breath. Chris rolled his eyes and reached down to pat Victor’s cheek. The boy didn’t stir and Yuuri groaned.

                “What happened?” Chris asked. The merman’s eyes grew wide and he scrambled his brain to come up with a story to explain how Victor had ended up on the ground.

                “ I _know_ ” He stressed.

                “Well,” Yuuri hesitated as a blush creeped up his neck. He rubbed one hand along his neck and refused to make eye contact with either the angel or the mermaid. “We were…uh…kissing and I think he stopped breathing. Then he just fainted.”

                Sara gave a loud whoop of laughter and Chris rolled his eyes again, though this time his face was animated with amusement. He knelt down again and took Victor’s face in-between his hands. Yuuri felt a pang of jealousy, which was weird when the boy was simply trying to revive his friend.

                Who Yuuri had kissed into unconsciousness.

                If Yuuri wasn’t so worried that someone would find them outside and start asking questions, he might have smirked about the whole situation. It was kind of flattering after all. But for Victor’s sake they couldn’t be found out here. For whatever reason, he’d been taught that what was between them was wrong. Yuuri thanked Poseidon that his kind were open to just about everything.

                The angel’s eyelids fluttered and Yuuri felt his start to stir in his lap. Chris sat back on his heels and one look up at Sara told Yuuri that she was making a list of jokes to fire at Victor the minute the boy fully awoke. He gave her a sharp shake of his head, making the mermaid pout at him. Victor’s eyes slid open and a small smile slipped onto his lips when he saw Yuuri leaning over him. The look turned to confusion as he noted the other two creatures surrounding him.

                “Guess our Yuuri is a better kisser than we thought.” Sara smirked. Yuuri groaned, the redness coloring his cheeks again. Victor rubbed his hands across his face and pulled himself into a sitting position. Yuuri kept a hand on the angel’s back and felt a twinge of relief when he didn’t pull away from it. The boy actually leaned against Yuuri’s chest for support, making the prince’s breath catch in his throat. He mentally reminded himself to pull in some air, they didn’t need another prince passing out.

                “What happened?” Victor’s voice faltered a little as he turned to look at Yuuri. Realization washed over him, Yuuri could see it move across his features. The angel reached a hand up and touched the merman’s face softly. He let out a loud laugh and Yuuri couldn’t stop himself from joining in. Soon the whole group was in hysterics, Sara clutching her sides and Chris bracing himself with one hand against the ground.

                The door opened and all laughter immediately stopped.

                JJ stood in the doorway, the light from the party behind him silhouetting him and making the werewolf look truly huge. He observed the group, his eyes traveling over each of them and coming to stop where Victor still sat in Yuuri’s lap. Understanding lit up his eyes and a small smile played on his lips. He nodded silently and stepped back inside, closing the door quietly behind him.

                Victor glanced at Yuuri, and the group burst back into laughter.

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                Victor and Yuuri sat on Yuuri’s bed, hands intertwined and shoulders touching. The guard members had all made some sort of excuse as to why they needed to leave the room, though they basically had to drag Sara out. Chris had promised to cover for Victor, mumbling something about Victor owing him.

                So the two sat on the bed, holding hands as Yuuri worked up the courage to ask the question that had been in the back on his mind since he’d walked out onto the patio.

                “Victor…” he started and the angel turned to look at him. “Why would it be so bad if people found out about…whatever we are?” He heard the sharp intake of breath but didn’t meet the boy’s eyes. Victor leaned back against the headboard, hand still held securely in Yuuri’s.

                “It would be bad even if I wasn’t the prince. The angels have never been particularly…” He searched for a word. “Progressive. Even relationships between female and male angels are heavily scrutinized and they’re shamed for anything deemed inappropriate before marriage. Anything that deviates from strictly male and female is considered a taboo and my father in particular is very traditional about such things.

                Even with traditional relationships, if it’s not between angels it’s considered just as bad to them. There’s this idea that we’re so above everyone else and that any sort of mingling with the other species is tainting that superiority. You’ve seen how Yakov and Lilia act towards everyone else, even just talking to other species more than necessary can be seen as inappropriate. I don’t know what the punishment would be for being..um..well you know.” He glanced at Yuuri. “And being it with someone who’s not an angel. I suspect I’d be banished as soon as my father found out.”

                “What does it mean to be banished?” Yuuri finally turned to look at him. He knew the angels were old fashioned but he hadn’t realized just how much Victor would have to face if anyone found out about them.

                “It means you can’t ever return to the sky lands. There’s this big sword that the king uses to…” He tried to think of a gentle word to describe the grueling process. “…remove… the wings of the angel being banished. Then someone takes them to earth and they’re never heard from again.”  He got quiet, eyes downcast. Yuuri felt something bubble up inside him, he wasn’t sure if it was anger or an absurd desire to protect the boy sitting next to him. He shifted around until he could cup Victor’s face in his hands and he lifted the boy’s head until he looked him in the eyes.

                “Prince Victor Nikiforov,” He swallowed the lump of emotion rising in his throat. “Despite what you’ve been told, there is nothing wrong with you. It’s okay to be gay, or bisexual or whatever you are. It’s okay to love someone who’s not from the same place you are. It. Is. Okay.” He punctuated his last words with light kisses to the prince’s lips.  Victor shuddered slightly and Yuuri looked up in surprise.

                Silent tears rolled down the prince’s face and his shoulders shook. The merman pulled him into his chest and pressed his face into his shoulder. He felt the boy’s tears soaking into his shirt but he didn’t care. He held him, letting him cry in silence.

                A few minutes passed before Victor pulled himself up, sniffling and using the back on his hand to wipe the wetness off of his skin. He took a shaky breath and flashed a small smile at the prince who sat in between his legs.

                “No one’s ever told me that before.” He whispered. “I always knew that I wasn’t like the other angels. I knew that one day I would just have to suck it up and marry someone for the sake of continuing on our bloodline. I didn’t think I’d ever actually feel anything more than duty towards someone.” He glanced at Yuuri who had recaptured his hands within his own. “I don’t know that I could…I don’t know that I can go through that anymore. Not now that I know I can actually feel true feelings towards someone.” He finished quietly, looking into Yuuri’s eyes. “I know we haven’t known each other long but I’ve never felt any of the things I feel for you. You…you’re so bright and…”

                The door burst open and within seconds a flustered Christ was yanking Victor from the bed.

                “Victor they’re looking for you, you’ve got to get out of here.” He said, pushing the prince towards the door. Victor looked back at Yuuri, mouthing a quick apology before he was hustled out the door and into the hallway.

                Yuuri sat quietly on his bed, contemplating what Victor was trying to say before Chris had interrupted.

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                The prince had meant to wait a little bit and then go check on Victor, but sleep overtook him at some point. The next thing he knew he was being shaken awake. He opened his eyes to see Sara above him, her eyes wide and mouth set in a grim line.

                “What’s wrong? Is Victor okay? Did he get in trouble?” His mind immediately went to the conversation they’d had earlier. Had someone seen them? Was Victor getting in trouble for being with him? Had he doomed the boy because he was too selfish to stay away from him?

                Sara sighed and waited until Yuuri had sat up. She put a hand on his shoulder and spoke quietly.

                “Yuuri, Victor’s gone. All of the angels, they’re gone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again I’m so sorry for being gone for so long but hopefully you’ll still enjoy the story. I’m going to try to continue updating more regularly but I don’t know that it will be every Sunday like it used to be. I don’t want to rush these chapters and I want to treat each of these characters carefully. But if you’re still reading, thank you! And please let me know if you’re enjoying the story. Please follow and review!

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if you have questions or if you want me to continue!


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